Said El Mala reflects on breakout season with 1. FC Köln

Said El Mala has looked back on what has already been a season to remember for him.

19-year-old Said El Mala has been a revelation for 1. FC Köln this season, racking up six goals and three assists in 15 Bundesliga appearances for the Billy Goats.

In an interview with Kicker, El Mala reflected on his rapid rise.

“A lot has really happened. I tried to reflect during my vacation and took some time to pause,” he said.

Through his performances, El Mala feels he has changed his standing within the team.

“When you join a Bundesliga club as a younger player and perform well, you naturally earn a certain standing. I feel my role now is a bit different than in the first weeks when I was new. I think I can also take the lead sometimes, even as a young player, and it’s important that the team accepts that,” he explained.

“My goal was to settle in and play in the Bundesliga. It happened faster than expected – but in an even better way.”

When asked about his aims for the second half of the season, El Mala replied:

“Simply continue where we left off. We want to win games and stay in the league. That’s what we’re working on now.”

He added that he doesn’t have a specific target for goals for the remainder of the season.

“No, I don’t put that pressure on myself. I want to score as many goals as possible. Whether it ends up being double digits or not doesn’t matter. The main thing is that we stay in the league,” El Mala stressed.