Kwasniok leaves attacking star out of Köln squad for Heidenheim clash

After recently expressing his frustration over limited playing time in an interview with Express.de, Luca Waldschmidt has been left out of 1. FC Köln’s squad for their first Bundesliga game of 2026 against 1. FC Heidenheim this weekend, according to Sky Germany.

Waldschmidt was reportedly informed of the decision during a meeting with head coach Lukas Kwasniok and sporting director Thomas Kessler.

Apparently, the forward's exclusion from the squad is not mainly a reaction to the interview, but rather a result of differing expectations regarding how the 29-year-old fulfills his role on the pitch.

This season, Waldschmidt has scored three goals and provided two assists across 12 appearances, having started six of those matches.

Update (January 9, 12:26 CET): According to Express.de, Dominique Heintz will not be in the squad either due to a knock picked up in the final training session ahead of the game.