Jan-Luca Rumpf moved from Fortuna Köln to Alemannia Aachen in the summer. On Friday, he returns for the first time to where he played for three years.

Alemannia Aachen has now been unbeaten for five games, but has only managed one win in that time. Combined with just four points from the first four games, that leaves one of the top favorites in the Regionalliga West in just eleventh place after nine matchdays.

After those responsible reacted early in the season, parting ways with coach Helge Hohl and installing Heiner Backhaus as the new coach shortly thereafter, the team at least already managed to stand more securely at the back. “I think first and foremost it was important for us to get defensive stability. We’ve already taken a few steps forward in that respect,” says center back Jan-Luca Rumpf, looking back on the past few weeks. “We didn’t concede many goals anymore and when we did get one, we came back quickly, like last time against Köln II.”

However, part of the previous week’s game is that Aachen failed to score the opening goal in more than 70 minutes of overtime. Also by penalty kick the 2:1 would not fall. “It just fits the overall situation with us, there is perhaps currently missing the little bit of luck that we then make the penalty and simply win the thing,” Rumpf is annoyed, but also explains: “Nevertheless, we have, I think, still played out too few high-caliber chances. We just have to be a bit more straightforward in the final third and then take the chances we get.”

The summer newcomer hopes that Alemannia will soon succeed in “finally getting the frustration off our chest that we naturally have after the start.” But even if “the knot has not yet burst”, the 24-year-old sees “good steps forward” with his team in recent weeks.

The center back got off to a difficult start

Things also went bumpy for him personally at first after his arrival from Fortuna Cologne. “I got off to a bad start, of course, and missed the first two games with injuries. Then you’re a bit behind and have to catch up. After that, from my point of view, maybe I came back in a bit too early against Gladbach II.” Prior to that, the man who played once in the Bundesliga for SC Paderborn had only trained for a week.

His 90-minute effort against the Foals (2-2) was followed by the debacle against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, where Rumpf started again but was replaced by Aldin Dervisevic in the 26th minute after an early 4-0 deficit and a yellow card. “It was just all very mixed,” said Rumpf, summing up his early days in Aachen.

Under coach Backhaus, however, the 1.90-meter man is now set. “Everything has settled in a bit. I got the trust from the new coach and of course it can continue like this.”

Rumpf warns of play and defensively strong Kölner

The best time to do so is on Friday evening, when Rumpf meets his former club Fortuna Köln. “Many former teammates who became good friends during that time are still playing there now. I’m still in contact with them,” explains the central defender, who won’t be stepping onto the Südstadion pitch in a Cologne jersey for the first time on Friday evening. “It is of course strange to come to Südstadt as an opposing player,” Rumpf looks ahead after his three years at Fortuna.

Nevertheless, the focus is naturally on finally getting on track with the Aacheners. “I know, of course, that Fortuna will be very strong in terms of play. They also have a good run and will have a lot of self-confidence accordingly. That’s why it will be important for us first and foremost to hold our own against them. We have to break the rhythm a little bit,” Rumpf demands. The Wiesbaden native also expects Cologne to be strong defensively; after all, they form the strongest defense in the league so far, conceding only five goals. “That’s why we won’t get many chances and then simply have to take advantage of them. “