The newly formed U21s of 1. FC Köln are starting their preparation full of enthusiasm!

The newly formed U21s of 1. FC Köln are starting their preparation full of enthusiasm!

With fresh enthusiasm and many new faces, the U21s of 1. FC Köln have started preparing for the coming season of the West Regional Football League. trainer Evangelos Sbonias led the training session on Monday, an extremely important step for the revamped team.

Fortunately, the session did not take place in the Geißbockheim, but at the SC Rondorf facility, as the grass pitches around the Franz Kremer Stadium are being renovated. This decision turned out to be positive as the pitch in Rondorf is in great condition, which benefits the players.

New team, new challenges

Sbonias faces the challenge of forming the young troupe into a functioning unit. Seven players from the successful U19 team, which won the German championship, have now moved up to the U21 team. These include, among other thingsLuis Hauer,San Luca SpitaliandNick Zimmerman.

Another talented player,Fayssal Harchaoui, will also be included in the U21 squad once the foot injury he sustained in the U19 final has healed. However, the squad is not yet complete: of nine external newcomers, only six players were present at the start.Luca DürholtzandPatrik Kristaltake a week of special leave whilePenny Neumannhas to miss due to injury.

Injuries and contract discussions

There is also an injury-related situationLuca Lechner, who was injured in a duel; A diagnosis and possible downtime are expected later in the week. In this context, the situation ofAlessandro Blazic, whose contract expires on June 30th, is discussed. Discussions about a possible extension of the contract are already underway.

While preparations are intensifying, the first test match is just around the corner. The U21s will play against the regional league promoted team on Saturday, June 24th at 2 p.mVfL Bochum IIin Arnoldsweiler. In order to further strengthen the team, a team building training camp is planned from June 30th to July 4th in Hennef.

Although some players are missing due to injury or on vacation, Sbonias is satisfied with the fitness level of his team. For the new additionPatrik Kristal, who moved to Cologne from Paide Linnameeskond from Estonia, everyone is pleased that he can already boast 36 appearances in the Estonian league and three senior international matches. However, the coach demands more stability and consistency in attacking play in order to be able to survive in the difficult Regionalliga West.

Further details on current developments and the course of the league are available at any time kicker.de visible.