Saïd El Mala: 'It's a privilege to play for Cologne'
Saïd El Mala was largely unheard of beyond the Cologne city limits at the start of this season, but such has been his sparkling form in 2025/26 that he earned himself a call-up to Julian Nagelsmann's Germany squad for their World Cup Qualifiers in November.
In this interview with the 19-year-old earlier this week, we spoke to the rising star about dealing with rejection early on in his footballing journey, playing in the Bundesliga for Cologne, and how his first phone call with Nagelsmann went.
Let's start at the very beginning. Do you remember how, when, and why you started playing football?
Saïd El Mala: “I think almost everybody knows by now that I started playing football because of my dad. Given the standards back then, he played in a relatively good league. I think it was the regional league back then.
"He took us onto the pitch and the dads played on the main pitch while the kids played off to the side and watched as well. I think I must have been three or four at the time and I always played with my brother. As soon as it was possible, we were registered with the club and that’s how things started.”
Then you joined Borussia Mönchengladbach's youth team, but there was a turning point and you were dropped. Can you tell us how that felt back then?
El Mala: “It was a very difficult period because it was during the coronavirus time as well. I was 14 years old and it was difficult to take.
"We had a lot of video calls and video training at home, and at some point, we were allowed to train in small groups again. The meeting then took place at the end of the season, which is always the case in youth academies because they let you know whether your contract will be extended or not.
"I didn't get a contract and luckily, I had my brother, who persuaded me to keep playing with friends and I enjoyed that.”
Can you still remember the moment when it was over? What were your thoughts afterwards?
El Mala: “It did feel a little bit like my world was ending. I think I shed a few tears because you are ripped out of your environment and leave the boys who you have known for three years.
"I never really had any time for school friends because I went straight from school to training in the team bus and did my homework there. I was only really ever with the boys who were in my team and I had a great relationship with them. From one day to the next, I was no longer with them, so that was tough for me.”
How did things continue after that?
El Mala: “I did a lot of thinking about my future with my family. I played a lot of football at TSV Meerbusch because my brother knew the son of the coach, so we played with a few lads there. My brother was very important at that time because he experienced the same thing that I did with being let go, so it was important that we supported each other.”
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Then came the move to Viktoria Köln and later to Cologne. How did that happen?
El Mala: “Malek and I were at Viktoria for a trial in winter and it became clear to me relatively quickly that I would go there. For Malek, it was a question of what position he would play. We then both transferred to Viktoria and we had it in our heads that this might be our last chance to get our breakthrough.
"We didn’t even think we would play at Viktoria, we just hoped to be in the squad. It was just a privilege for us to be able to play U19 Bundesliga.
"Things moved very quickly for us because we were both scoring goals and we had a bit of luck that the first team had a few injuries, so we were able to play a lot and show what we could do. I think I used this opportunity well and then the mighty Cologne came calling at some point."
Watch: Brotherly love in Cologne
"My family, my advisor and I didn't need too long to decide that this would be the right step for me. It was an unbelievable feeling.
"Cologne were still under a transfer ban at the time, so it didn’t really make sense to go there immediately and train for a year without playing. We also didn’t want to be taken straight out of the environment at Viktoria because we felt at home there and they did us a favour by letting us play. We went back on loan there and I think that was the right step again.”
Before the season started, your contract was extended until 2030. How did that come about and how easy was the decision?
El Mala: “It was an easy decision. We know what we have here and what the plan is with us. We know that the coach, the board and everyone else enjoys working with us, and we want to make a statement here. We feel very happy here in Cologne and we live here now as well, so it's a lot of fun here.”
As a child of the Rhineland, is it special for you to play for Cologne?
El Mala: “Yes, definitely. I don’t think I've committed a crime in terms of the rivalry between the clubs because I didn't leave Gladbach willingly. It’s a privilege for me to play for Cologne, especially when you see how many people come to the stadium to support you.
You got off to a flying start and created quite a buzz. How do you deal with that?
El Mala: “I wouldn’t say that I knew this would happen, but I know how I play and I knew that I didn’t have to worry about coming from the third division into the Bundesliga. There were a lot of things that people said would not work in the Bundesliga, but I don’t get put off by statements like that. I play my game, I don’t get too worried about it, and I think you've already noticed that I’m pretty relaxed.
Watch: El Mala nets in Cologne's 4-1 win over Hamburg
"I do feel a bit of the hype because it’s impossible not to, but I like the feeling because more people now know me. The pressure on me might start building, but I try not to read everything on all the social media channels, even though you can't avoid it entirely. It is a bit of a nice feeling too.”
Now you've received your next reward in getting a nomination for the senior national team. Tell us about the moment you got the call.
El Mala: “I was at home with my brother and I got a call from an unrecognised number. This happens to me fairly often and I never usually answer. I then got a message from Julian Nagelsmann asking me to phone him back and I didn’t wait long. I quickly ran to my brother to show him the message and he told me to phone straight back.
"I had a short three or four-minute conversation with Nagelsmann where he confirmed that I was selected for the first game and then we would see what happens for the second. He told me to simply show what I can do and to express myself.”
How was that moment? Was that the next childhood dream come true?
El Mala: “I don’t think it gets any better, alongside maybe playing in the Champions League. It was amazing to be selected for the national team squad and I was very proud to have achieved this. I now want to cement my place there.”
What was it like being on the national team and meeting all the other players?
El Mala: “I arrived and met everybody, and I have to admit that I was a bit nervous because they were the players I had only ever seen on television or had only recently started playing against.
"It was a childhood dream. I was quickly taken into the squad and we had a team evening on the first day where we went bowling, so that made things a bit easier. Assan Ouédraogo also joined and I get on with very well him, so that also made things easier.”
Who did you get along with best, apart from the people you already knew?
El Mala: “Jonathan Tah came to me and made me feel at home, but I actually got on with everyone.”
What are your goals with Cologne this season? And is there a specific personal goal tally you want to reach?
El Mala: “If I give a specific number then I'm just putting pressure on myself, but I don’t have one in mind anyway. I just want to keep playing like I have done so far and I want to see the fans happy. I want to keep the club in the Bundesliga with the help of my goals and performances and I want to have fun with the team in this league.”
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