1. FC Köln have extended Celina Degen’s contract until 30th June 2026. The Austrian international has been with the club since 2022.
1. FC Köln are building for the future. After Adriana Achcinska’s extension, Celina Degen has followed suit. The 22-year-old centre-back joined FC from TSG Hoffenheim 18 months ago and developed into a leading figure at the back.
Celina Degen was born on 16th May 2001 in Graz and grew up in Steiermark. At SV Gössendorf 2015, she took her first footballing steps before joining SK Sturm Graz. At 15, she made her debut in the Austrian Bundesliga and three years later, she became captain. In summer 2020, she made the move to Germany and TSG Hoffenheim. At TSG, she featured in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Women’s Champions League before joining 1. FC Köln. In the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga, Degen has made 36 appearances, scoring one goal.
Degen made her way through all the Austrian youth set-up and made her debut for the senior side against Luxembourg in a World Cup qualifier on 30th November 2021. She scored her first goal for her country in April 2022 in Latvia and was part of the squad for the European Championship in England in 2022.
Nicole Bender-Rummler, Head of Women’s Football, said: “Celina Degen has made a leap in her development in her time at FC. She is strong in the tackle and in the air, takes on responsibility in the team and stabilises our defence. We have a lot of faith in Celina and that her development is not over.”
Celina Degen said: “Since I’ve been here, I have felt unbelievably at home here in Köln and in the team. The club and my entire team here had a place in my heart after a very short space of time. Women’s football at FC is always developing and I am excited to be a part of that and to help FC move forward. That is a big motivation for me.”