Deception on the transfer market: this is how the Slovenian club 1. FC Cologne wanted to defraud

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Times are not exactly rosy at 1. FC Köln, to put it positively. The team, now coached by ex-FCB coach Timo Schultz, is in penultimate place in the Bundesliga and is fighting relegation to the second division.

As if that weren’t enough, there are also negative headlines off the field. In December 2023, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) imposed a ban on Cologne for two transfer windows. So precisely for the period in which the team could use some reinforcement.

Cologne would have caused a breach of contract

The reason for the suspension imposed is a transfer of Jakub Cuber-Potocnik. The then 17-year-old moved from the U17s of NK Olimpija Ljubljana to the U17s of Cologne for free last January. The transfer came about a day after Potocnik terminated his contract with Ljubljana.

Ljubljana quickly filed a lawsuit with FIFA. Cologne is said to have pushed Potocnik to break his contract and then go to Cologne for free. The court partially agreed with the Slovenian club and imposed a transfer ban on Cologne.

The Slovenians wanted to make a false offer

It is now clear from the CAS ruling, which is available to “Kicker”, that not only Cologne played with illegal means, but also the Slovenian club.

Accordingly, NK Olimpija Ljubljana wanted to increase the price of Potocnik, in which Cologne had long been interested, with a fake offer. The goal: to obtain the highest possible transfer fee with the young player.

Former Olimpija sporting director Mladen Rudonja has stated that his successor had often asked him, “but ultimately in vain”, to “prepare a false, undated offer from Manchester City.” With such a fake offer, the Slovenians wanted to defraud the residents of Cologne and get more money from them.

By the way: Potocnik, now 18, plays in the Germans’ U19 team and is on his way to making the first team. (par)

Source : Blick