1. FC Köln have agreed a deal to bring Konstantin Rausch to Cologne for the 2016/17 season. The lefty arrives from SV Darmstadt 98 on a free transfer.

1. FC Köln have signed Konstantin “Kocka” Rausch from the Bundesliga club SV Darmstadt 98. The 26-year-old has a contract with Darmstadt set to expire on June 30, 2016. As a result, he will arrive in Cologne on a free transfer. Rausch’s contract will keep him at FC until June 30, 2019.

Konstantin Rausch played one season at Darmstadt in which he appeared in 30 matches and scored 2 goals. Before then he made 175 Bundesliga appearances (11 goals) for Hannover 96 and VfB Stuttgart. During his time at Hannover 96, Rausch featured in 22 matches (1 goal) in the UEFA Europa League. Although born in Russia, Rausch played for the German national youth teams growing up.

“I have known Kocka for a long time since we worked together in Hannover. He is an established Bundesliga player, who is capable of playing both an offensive and defensive role on the left side,” said FC General Manager Jörg Schmadtke. “Many clubs approached Kocka in recent weeks. We clearly had some good arguments to convince him to join FC.”

FC Head Coach Peter Stöger states: “In Koka Rausch we are getting a quick and flexible player, who can use his strong left foot to set up teammates and strike dangerous set-pieces. We are happy that he has decided to join FC.”