At the age of just 20, Noah Katterbach has already played 44 professional games for 1. FC Köln. The left-back has twice won the coveted Fritz Walter Gold Medal, which is awarded to Germany’s best young players. The successful professional career seemed mapped out – until Steffen Baumgart came along.

The new coach kissed FC awake – but Katterbach field through the grid and has only played in the second team since the start of the season. “I don’t see him currently in the first eleven and not yet at the level that I would bring him at any time”, Baumgart justified quite relentlessly at the end of August and denounced problems “In the sporting and playful area” a.

A month has passed since then in which Katterbach was unable to improve his situation. Maybe the opposite is the case – because the U21 international is in the regional league “Currently not every weekend of the best players”, as Thomas Kessler, head of the Cologne licensing area, says ‘Express’.

“Well then not”

And amateur trainer Mark Zimmermann is also irritated and suspects the ‘Geissblog’ after the recent 1: 3 against Alemannia Aachen “Frustration or anger” at Katterbach that he “Not to the train with the professionals” comes. “Well then not”, Zimmermann pointed out unmistakably that the left-back’s performance in the fourth division is insufficient to make it to the pros.

“He’s a young player who walks through a valley”, Kessler tries to appease. But one thing is clear: A lot more has to come from Katterbach in order to become an alternative for Baumgart and the currently so rousing Cologne team. That is of course also in the interests of the club – after all, a highly experienced and highly decorated junior national player at the age of 20 has a certain value that is currently tumbling in the regional league.