Football Season Guide

After a decent start to last season, Koln slid down the table leading to the dismissal of boss Kwasniok. Interim Rene Wagner then took the reins and did enough to get them over the line for survival. The Billy Goats are hoping their second season back in the top flight is a more comfortable one and they have trusted Wagner to continue in the role of head coach. So far Koln have made 10 new signings but this does include permanent deals for defender Simpson-Pusey and versatile midfielder Krauß, both of whom featured on loan last season. The loss of consistent midfielder Martel has been addressed with the signing of Ellyes Skhiri. The Tunisian international returns to the Rheine after 3 years at Frankfurt and his experience should be invaluable. Luka lochoshvili should push for a starting position in central defence after his solid displays for previous club Nurnberg while Ghanaian Mensah is expected to replace Lund at left-back with similar attributes. Striker Dallinga has joined on loan from Bologna but is expected to be a backup for Ache. Heskey, Neves, and Okon-Engstler are all promising young additions hoping to prove themselves. Koln are expected to play with high-intensity under Wagner and have enough quality in attacking areas to cause problems. Kaminski’s departure could be felt but if they can keep hold of huge talent El Mala for another season, it would be a big plus. There are still some concerns about squad depth and quality in defence so this could be the weakness.