1. FC Köln have signed German U21 international Eric Martel from RB Leipzig.
1. FC Köln have signed Eric Martel. The 20-year-old comes from RB Leipzig and has signed a four-year contract with FC. The Germany Under-21 international, who was last loaned to Austria Wien, made 30 appearances for the Austrian top flight side last season (two goals, two assists). The defensive midfielder, who can also play as a central defender, and his team reached the playoffs for the Europa League under former FC assistant coach Manfred Schmid, who is now head coach for Austria.
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FC Managing Director Christian Keller says: “I know Eric from his time as a youth player at SSV Jahn Regensburg. Even then, alongside his footballing talent, Eric had a mentality that was well above average. Immense diligence and unconditional will are just two of his character traits that I would like to specifically highlight. With these attributes, among other things, Eric managed to be one of the most conspicuous players in his position in the Austrian Bundesliga in the past season, despite his young age. With the move to our team, Eric is now taking the next big step in his development. We are convinced that he will also master this step successfully. At the same time, Eric knows what we expect from him here at FC, which is why he has to keep at it and invest in his development every day.”
Eric Martel says: “The decisive factor for me was the prospect of playing here. You can see that Cologne have chosen a path where they rely on young players with potential to develop. And I think I fit in well there. And of course FC is a cool club. Last year I got a lot of playing time at Austria Wien, which meant that I developed very well. I would now like to continue on this path in Cologne. I am aware that the leap into the Bundesliga is bigger. But I trust myself to master it.”
Eric Martel was born on April 29, 2002 in Straubing. The defensive midfielder started playing football at RSV Ittling and was trained at the youth training center of SSV Jahn Regensburg until 2017. His path led him to the youth academy of RB Leipzig, where he developed into a junior international. In September 2020, Martel wore the national jersey for the first time in the U19. Two months later, the then 18-year-old made his professional debut under coach Julian Nagelsmann when he came on as a substitute against FC Augsburg in the 2020/21 DFB Cup. Martel has been playing for Austria since January 2021. The FC newcomer made a total of 55 appearances (four goals, five assists) for the traditional Viennese club.
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