Cologne’s Thomas Kessler: Saïd El Mala “not disappointed” after Borussia Dortmund transfer collapse
Cologne sporting director Thomas Kessler says he “doesn’t see any disappointment” in Saïd El Mala after a potential move to Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund fell through last week.
Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken confirmed a few days ago that the clubs had held talks over a transfer for El Mala, but that as no agreement could be reached, BVB would no longer pursue the 19-year-old.
“It had been clear for several days that we weren’t going to reach an agreement,” Kessler said. “it didn’t come out of the blue for us. It was simply the outcome of very respectful discussions between the two clubs. That’s football – you don’t always manage to find an agreement.”
For Kessler, of far greater importance is the way El Mala has dealt with the situation: “It’s perfectly understandable that a player of his age would consider a move to a Champions League club."
“I don’t see any disappointment in him. I’m in touch with Saïd almost every day, and we speak very openly about the situation. And judging by the way he conducts himself and wears our shirt, he’s clearly very proud to be a Cologne player.”
The Billy Goats’ first competitive outing of 2026/27 is away to third-division outfit Würzburger Kickers in the DFB Cup first round on Monday 24 August, and Kessler sees no reason why the team’s talisman wouldn’t feature: “I can only repeat what I’ve been saying for weeks: I’m convinced he’ll be playing for Cologne this season.”
Nevertheless, the 40-year-old is aware that if El Mala continues to perform at the same level, his list of suitors will continue to grow: "Players who develop well here will naturally attract interest from other clubs. This certainly won’t be the last time in our lives that we’ve sat around a negotiating table with Borussia Dortmund.”
