“This is a new situation for me”

In the summer of 2021, Dejan Ljubicic moved from SK Rapid Wien to 1. FC Köln and quickly established himself as a regular there. As a defensive midfielder, the 24-year-old knew how to impress, but now coach Steffen Baumgart has put him in a more offensive position – mostly on the right wing.

“I have to say it’s not my top performance,” Ljubicic explained table football. Things aren’t going as well in the new position as they did in the fall. “There has to be more from me. But I’ve gotten used to it,” the Austrian continued.

In the previous eight competitive games in the new year, Ljubicic has only booked four starting XI appearances and has been substituted on four times. He justified this fact with his declining form: “When I see how I played in the autumn, it’s a difference.”

In the past, SK Rapid could not be imagined without the midfield engine. “It’s a new situation for me. I was an absolute regular at Rapid and played every game. That’s part of the process. If you don’t play: tick it off. And if you come back, give it your all and convince the coach,” showed Ljubicic optimistic. The derby against Leverkusen is on Sunday for Cologne.