1. FC Köln have extended Julian Pauli’s contract until 2028. The centre-back has now been loaned out to Dynamo Dresden until the end of the season.
“In his first season as a professional, Julian showed what potential he has and immediately became a regular starter. After his long injury break, the step to Dresden is exactly the right move for his development and to get back that missing rhythm. The fact that he extended his contract early and made a clear commitment to FC is hugely pleasing. We will follow him closely on his journey, with the belief that he will return stronger and to play an important role in our Bundesliga squad,” said FC Sporting Director, Thomas Kessler.
“I feel a huge amount of trust at FC and I am really pleased that we have extended until 2028. We spoke openly with one another and, together, came to the decision that a year of regular game time would be very helpful for my development. My desire is to play an important role at FC in the Bundesliga in the future. At Dynamo Dresden, I can prepare myself at a very high level in the best way possible and I’m really looking forward to the challenge,” said Julian Pauli.
Julian Pauli was born on 18th July 2005 in London. At the age of five, he moved to Germany with his parents and grew up in Düsseldorf. He went through the academies at Fortuna Düsseldorf and Borussia Dortmund. In summer 2021, Pauli moved to FC and the under-17s. In the 2022-23 season, he won the under-19 DFB-Pokal.
He made 17 appearances in the 2. Bundesliga in his first season as a first-teamer. He also featured in three DFB-Pokal fixtures and scored his first goal for the club in the first-round win against SV Sandhausen. Following his good performances, he was nominated for the Germany under-20s for the first time before a concussion in December forced him out for an extended period of time.