Fortuna Cologne is in a major upheaval before the season in the Regionalliga West. The sports director Matthias Mink reveals how this should succeed.
Lots of new faces at Fortune Cologne. With a new coach and numerous newcomers, the club will start the season next weekend Regional League West. The sporting direction has been in the hands of since April of this year Matthias Mink, who can draw a positive interim conclusion before the start of the season. “We managed the upheaval quite well,” says Mink, the new coach, who is satisfied with the current squad Markus von Ahlen is available. “During the course of the preparations, we have already demonstrated a certain quality and are in good spirits that the squad will continue to grow together.” And that will also be necessary in order to be able to compensate for the painful departures of some top performers (see info box).
additions: Lars Lokotsch (FSV Zwickau), Jules Schwadorf (Preußen Münster), Serkan Göcer (FC Homburg 08), Angelo Langer (SV Rödinghausen), Finn Bauens, Gianluis Di Fine, Tariq-Emad Suleiman, Younes Derbali (all own U19), Dustin Willms (FSV Zwickau), Jonas Scholz (FC Homburg), Jan Wellers (VfB Homberg)
departures: Seymour Fünger (Hallescher FC), Jannik Löhden (VfB Lübeck), Suheyel Najar (SV Wehen Wiesbaden), Sören Dieckmann (TSG Hoffenheim II), Dimitry Imbongo (Alemannia Aachen), Andre Dej (Rot Weiss Ahlen), Francis Ubabuike (SV Straelen), Pascal Itter (Rot Weiss Ahlen), Nico Brandenburger (1. FC Kaan-Marienborn), Mike Owusu, Dan-Patrick Poggenberg, Albin Thaqi, Ismail Harnafi, Batuhan Özden (all destination unknown)
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With Jannik Löhden, the captain and defense chief of the past season was drawn back to his northern German homeland to VfB Lübeck. But there are also big footsteps to fill in the offensive: With Suheyel Najar’s move to third division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden, the best scorer left Fortuna. Eight goals and 20 assists will have to be distributed to other shoulders in the coming season.
Replace top scorers in the collective
Mink is therefore trying to find something positive about Najar’s departure: “Ultimately, you give other players the chance to develop better when such a size is gone. At the same time, if you have doubts, you have to compensate for it with the group.” Some players have been committed to this, and Mink also attests to their high quality. “Whether they can step into the role of ‘Su’ Najar one-on-one is another story, but it’s not absolutely necessary either.”
In general, the former professional does not want to get involved in speculation before the season. “That’s always a thing in football: you can’t look into the crystal ball. You can look inside, but ultimately you don’t see anything in it.” The sporting director agrees with the formulation of a goal for the season for Cologne.
No clear goal for the season
“We have to make sure that we get off to a good start in the season,” Mink doesn’t want to get stuck in certain places in the table. “The great upheaval harbors opportunities, but at the same time risks.” Goals would only be defined together with the team during the course of the season.
“The current aim is to start the development process positively – that should now be dealt with in the foreground,” says Mink, specifying Fortuna’s route. It is therefore important that the team take the first steps together in the next few weeks.
The season begins for Cologne with supposedly easier tasks: SV Lippstadt 08 will be at home in the Südstadion (Saturday, July 23, 2 p.m.), Rot Weiss Ahlen will be waiting a week later (July 30, 2 p.m.). Then it will be seen how far Fortuna Cologne has actually come with the upheaval.
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