Luca Waldschmidt was excluded from Cologne’s squad for the trip to Heidenheim, at the option of coach Lukas Kwasniok, at a time when the club is going through a delicate moment of the season. The information was provided by Sky Sport and comes just days after the 29-year-old German striker publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with his reduced usage time.
This week, the former Benfica player expressed dissatisfaction with the minutes he has played (455), in an interview with Cologne Express. «It’s clearly not enough. Still, I always try to put my qualities at the service of the team when I’m on the field and, looking at the statistics, I think I’ve lived up to it. A goal or assist every 74 minutes is not bad”, said the German international, adding that some technical decisions are “sometimes difficult to understand”.
According to the local press, the words did not sit well with Kwasniok. The coach reportedly met with Waldschmidt, in a meeting that was also attended by sporting director Christian Keller, to announce the player’s exclusion. Still, the break is not complete and the expectation is that Waldschmidt will be able to rejoin the group next week.
In ten matches played this season, just five as a starter, Waldschmidt has three goals and two assists. The team has gone six games without winning and the visit to Heidenheim is seen as crucial to reversing the negative cycle, now without one of its most creative elements.
