FC Carl Zeiss Jena loses talent Muqaj to Holstein Kiel – what now?

FC Carl Zeiss Jena loses talent Muqaj to Holstein Kiel – what now?

FC Carl Zeiss Jena made a remarkable transfer in the summer of 2025 that is a topic of conversation. The 19-year-old Hamza Muqaj is leaving the club and moving to Holstein Kiel in the 2nd Bundesliga. Muqaj impressively made the jump from youth to the professional team last year and is now leaving a gap in the team that will be difficult to fill. As thueringen24.de reports, the loss is simply painful for coach Volkan Uluc, but not without positive perspectives, as he is also happy about his player's promotion can.

The sporting consequences of this transfer should not be underestimated. Sports director Patrick Widera also commented on the situation and emphasized that the transfer represents an “economically sensible agreement”. Such transfers are part of the current strategy to strengthen the finances of the club, which has already seen a total of eleven departures and only five new arrivals. The question remains: How will Jena compensate for the departures in order to continue fighting for promotion to the third division?

The current squad and the challenges

Especially at a time when team dynamics are crucial, those responsible are faced with the challenge of finding suitable players who can take the place of Muqaj and the other leavers. FC Carl Zeiss Jena has generated high income in the current transfer summer, but the danger of a weakened squad is great. This can be seen not only from the departures, but also from the modest number of new signings.

The latest figures speak for themselves. In the third division, Jena is one of the clubs with a squad of around22 playerscompared to other teams like that1. FC Hansa Rostock(30 players, market value: €9.05 million) or1860 Munich(31 players, market value: €8.85 million) are rather in the lower range. The aim here is to strengthen the team both quantitatively and qualitatively in order to be able to survive in the coming competition transfermarkt.de.

A look into the future

Planning for the next few months is already in full swing. Jena will specifically invest the financial resources generated by Muqaj's transfer. The goal is clear: promotion to the third division is within reach, but for this the team must be strong and powerful.

Whether and how the departures will ultimately affect the team's performance remains to be seen. However, fans of the FCC can draw some optimism that with the right hand in the new signings, this challenge can also be overcome. It will be particularly exciting to see which talents will replace the current departures and whether Jena can promote a new star from the youth.

A look at the club's current situation leaves room for hope for a successful season in the third division, which will begin shortly.