Jaka Cuber Potocnik: Hopeful moves to Rot-Weiss Essen!

Jaka Cuber Potocnik: Hopeful moves to Rot-Weiss Essen!

In an exciting turn of events for 1. FC Köln, Slovenian U21 international Jaka Cuber Potocnik, 20, has left the club to go on loan to third division club Rot-Weiss Essen for a year. The transfer was officially announced on July 9, 2025. Potocnik has promising potential, which comes into its own despite his limited appearances in the second division at FC Köln. In the last three years he has only been allowed to get a taste of professional life for 15 minutes, a circumstance that he himself considers to be insufficient.

Technical director Lukas Berg emphasized how important it is for Potocnik to get regular match practice. “He has actually left the U21 behind him and is ready for the next step,” says Berg, emphasizing his confidence in the young striker’s long-term development. Before his move, Potocnik was known for his goals in the U19 Bundesliga (35 games, 23 goals) and the Regionalliga West (35 games, 15 goals) and now has clear goals in mind: He wants to score a lot of goals for Essen.

Career path and challenges

Jaka Cuber Potocnik has made a name for himself over the last few years. Before moving to Cologne in 2022, he came from NK Olimpija Ljubljana and was trained in Slovenia. In the A youth team for 1. FC Köln, he was one of the best scorers with 23 goals and three assists in 28 games. He made his professional debut on September 29, 2024 in the 2nd Bundesliga against Karlsruher SC. Potocnik now sees his time at Rot-Weiss Essen as the right decision on his way to match practice.

His new club has given him the number 9 shirt and his move represents Rot-Weiss Essen's ninth new signing this summer. Club director Marcus Steegmann describes Potocnik as a "hungry striker" with excellent finishing skills and is hoping for a strong season. Potocnik himself is looking forward to the challenge and thanks the fans and the club for their support.

Why the move to Essen?

During his time at FC Köln, Potocnik often shuttled between the youth teams and the professional team, which slowed his development. Berg and his team see the loan to Essen as an opportunity to give the player the necessary playing time and to further develop him. This decision could not only give Potocnik's career a boost, but also strengthen Rot-Weiss Essen.

The loan player statistics show how important such transfers are in football. Clubs like 1. FC Köln benefit from the experience their talents gain in different leagues. Potocnik not only brings talent, but also the knowledge that he is ready to give everything for his new club in order to shine on the pitch and score as many goals as possible.

This news should give fans of Rot-Weiss Essen a feeling of optimism, and it will be interesting to see how Potocnik develops in the coming months. The pressure to prove yourself has never been so great - and so is the anticipation.

Further information about this transfer and the developments at 1. FC Köln can be found on the website of Picture and Red and white food to find while Transfer market provides a comprehensive overview of loan players and their developments.