“Sebastian Andersson’s Return to Bundesliga: Steffen Baumgart Discusses His Prospects”

After more than a year, Sebastian Andersson has celebrated his comeback at 1. FC Köln – albeit in the regional league for the under-21 billy goats. Steffen Baumgart now spoke about Andersson’s prospects of returning to the Bundesliga.

Last week, Steffen Baumgart named Sebastian Andersson as a candidate for the professional squad against TSG Hoffenheim. For two days Sebastian Andersson was in the starting XI of the Cologne U21s in the derby at Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Together with Tim Lemperle and Dimitris Limnios, the billy goats offered three professionals with Bundesliga experience who should help the ailing U21s in the fight to stay up in the regional league. In the end, however, others scored: while Joshua Schwirten made it 1-0 early on, Maximilian Schmid was still able to equalize in the second half. However, Andersson and Lemperle were directly involved in the formation of the Cologne leadership.

Overall, however, Andersson remained pale. The Swede couldn’t pose any real threat offensively and ended up without a goal in his 45-minute game. Nevertheless, the first competitive game in over a year should give the attacker a new boost.

Whether there will actually be a comeback in the Bundesliga in the next few weeks depends primarily on himself. “He’s doing well,” said Steffen Baumgart on Tuesday. Nevertheless, two strikers, Davie Selke and Steffen Tigges, are still well ahead of the 31-year-old in the ranking. “Fortunately, I don’t see anyone slacking off or voluntarily giving up their place,” explained the coach.

Andersson has to get past the competition first

Selke in particular should have gained new self-confidence after his goal in Hoffenheim. In general, the new winter signing has settled into the FC system better and better in recent weeks and probably made his best game in FC dress at TSG. Tigges is currently pawing his hooves behind the experienced attacker. “Tiggi is no worse than Davie,” said Baumgart. “But we’re only playing with one position up front right now.”

Is there any room left for Andersson? It is currently difficult to imagine that the positions on the offensive with Dejan Ljubicic, Jan Thielmann, Linton Maina, Florian Kainz, Kingsley Schindler and Sargis Adamyan are already well filled. Tim Lemperle had also felt this in the last few weeks. The youngster has not played for five games in a row and has not been in the squad twice recently.

“He has to get past that first,” said Baumgart with regard to Andersson and the competition in the Cologne attack. It is therefore possible that the Swede will initially continue to collect match practice in the regional league. At least the coach gives his player a fair chance, wants to decide on the places in the squad week after week. For Sebastian Andersson, this means that it is entirely up to him and his performance whether he will appear again for the FC professionals before his contract expires in the summer.