Köln announced on their official website on Thursday that the club's Bosnia international right-back Jusuf Gazibegović will return to Sturm Graz on-loan.

According to Sturm Graz's official statement, Gazibegović will play for the club on-loan until the end of the season. The loan agreement does not include a buy option and will officially take effect on the first day that the winter transfer window, January 1, 2026, opens.

After completing his transfer, Gazibegović, who spoke to both clubs' official websites again, said: "Everyone knows how significant Sturm Graz is to me, how wonderful my time here was, and that I've been following Graz closely. So, when the opportunity to return on-loan came, I seized it without hesitation."

"I hope to get plenty of playing time, train hard with the team every day, and help the team perform at its best in every match. I can't wait to start training before the end of the off-season, and I'm very excited to return to the Libenau Stadium!"

"After a good pre-season, I naturally wanted more playing time. However, shortly after the season started, I realized I didn't get many opportunities. Unfortunately, that's sometimes the case in football."

"For me, this means I need to readjust and take a six-month break. Just like at Köln, I will give my all in Graz's training and matches, striving to return stronger in the summer."

In fact, Gazibegović's situation is quite pitiful. Last season, after joining the club in January, he quickly established himself as a key player under then-manager Friedhelm Funkel.

Where he had a very successful half-season, helping Köln win the 2. Bundesliga title and return to the top flight as a newly promoted side.

However, since Funkel chose to step down before the start of this season at the summer, and his position was taken over by former Paderborn Polish coach Lukas Kwasniok, Gazibegović's position in the team has suddenly diminished since the first day after the summer transfer window closed.

This led him to submit a transfer request to Köln's sporting director Thomas Kessler two months ago, which was quickly approved.

About Jusuf Gazibegović

The 25-year-old Gazibegović was born on March 11, 2000, in Salzburg, Austria. He is 1.74 meters tall, plays as a right-back, but occasionally plays as a left-back. He holds dual Austrian and Bosnian citizenship. 

Gazibegović joined the Austria Salzburg youth academy Salzburg in Austria at the age of nine, but following the Red Bull Group's hostile takeover of the club, and subsequent rebranding to Red Bull Salzburg, he became the latter's youth academy player.

In March 2018, at the age of 17, Gazibegović began playing for Red Bull Salzburg's satellite team, Liefering. However, after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which caused him to miss six months due to the injury in a match in April of the following year, Gazibegović was cruelly released by Red Bull Salzburg due to his perceived lack of development.

After recovering from his injury in the summer of 2020, Gazibegović joined Sturm Graz on a free transfer and completed his Sturm Graz first-team debut in October of the same year.

During his four-and-a-half-year spell with Sturm Graz, Gazibegović won the Austrian Cup twice and the Austrian Bundesliga title once.

This January, Gazibegović joined Köln for €2 million.

Since joining Köln, Gazibegović has made 13 appearances for the newly promoted Bundesliga side in all competitions so far, has yet to score or assist, but has helped the club win the 2. Bundesliga title last season.