Before the premier class hit

Sturm sell-out to Cologne? What the head of sport says

Sturm sporting director Michael Parensen

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

SK Sturm will end its dream year 2024 with the Champions League thriller away to LOSC Lille. While Jürgen Säumel's squad chases a sensation on the pitch against the French top club on Wednesday (18:45), there is constant disruption on the transfer market. The "Krone" confronted head of sport Michael Parensen.

The departure of Jusuf Gazibegovic, who is suspended from the Champions League but will nevertheless accompany the champions from Graz to Lille, to 1. FC Köln and the second German Bundesliga is said to have been confirmed. According to the latest reports from Germany, however, the "Effzeh" will not be satisfied with the right-back. Mika Biereth, William Böving, Niklas Geyrhofer. A number of black and white mainstays are said to be in the sights of the "Billy Goats".

"The transfer phase is slowly getting underway," smiled Sturm's neo-sporting director Michael Parensen at Graz-Thalerhof airport before departing for Lille in response to questions about the status of transfer matters. Will half the Sturm team now be sold to Cologne? Is there already an exchange with the Cologne sports director colleague? "I only speak regularly with one colleague from Cologne," said Parensen. "And that's with team manager Marius Laux, who is one of my best friends, but otherwise I have no contact with Cologne!"

Storm's attacker Erencan Yardimci shone with a new head of hair during training before flying to Lille.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Parensen has recently been in talks internally at Sturm - and regarding the position of a possible technical director. This position is still vacant. "I've had a lot of discussions here, as it's a position that helps me in my work. But we're not making any quick decisions here either." In general, the sporting director is not planning to actively sign players in the winter transfer window, which is always rather "unpredictable" for him, but is nevertheless prepared. "The next few weeks will be rather intense when it comes to talking to players and advisors about the extent to which players want to change with us."