1. FC Cologne surprised: New signing Johannesson apologizes to Fortuna fans!

<ol> <li>FC Cologne surprised: New signing Johannesson apologizes to Fortuna fans!</li> </ol>

The move from Fortuna Düsseldorf to 1. FC Köln is currently causing lively discussions in the football community. On June 1st, 1. FC Köln announced that they had signed Icelandic international Isaak Johannesson. The transfer, which was realized through a release clause of 5.5 million euros, caused mixed feelings among Fortuna Düsseldorf fans.

For Johannesson, this is a significant step in his career, even if he leaves the fortunes behind.He had emphasized several times how important the club was to him and that he had hoped for promotion. Nevertheless, after the last matchday in the second division, when Fortuna ended a season without a promotion place, it seemed clear to Johannesson that he wanted to look for a new challenge.

The 22-year-old commented on his move on Instagram and apologized to the Fortuna fans. “I know a lot of you will hate me,” said the player, who expressed his gratitude for the support during his time at Fortuna Düsseldorf. However, not all fans understood his decision - many are disappointed and angry about this abrupt change. Still, some of the fan base showed respect for the difficult decision Johannesson had to make.

Thomas Kessler on Johannesson's development

Those responsible at 1. FC Köln seem to have a good knack for such transfers. Sports director Thomas Kessler praised the footballing quality and development of Johannesson, who came to Düsseldorf from FC Copenhagen for 2 million euros in the summer of 2024 and has since increased his market value to 7 million euros. In his 69 appearances for Fortuna last season, he scored 11 goals and provided 6 assists.

With Johannesson, FC has increased its spending on new signings to a total of 10 million euros - the largest investment since the 2020/21 season. This shows that the club has clearly formulated its ambitions for the coming years and is relying on a strong squad. Düsseldorf's sports director Klaus Allofs also said that the change was foreseeable and that Johannesson could only have been kept via the release clause.

A rare change between cities

It is also notable that only two players have moved between Cologne and Düsseldorf since 2000: Adam Matuszczyk and Thomas Bröker. Johannesson has therefore taken on a special role in the interaction between these two clubs. The football world is now eagerly following his next steps in Cologne.

We are excited to see how Johannesson will fit in in his new environment and what role he can play in the 1. FC Köln squad. The coming weeks promise to be exciting for all football fans – not just in Cologne, but also in Düsseldorf.

For a comprehensive overview of all the latest transfers, readers can visit Transfermarkt.