Former Middlesbrough defender Rav van den Berg finally gaining traction at 1. FC Köln | OneFootball

After several false starts with his new Bundesliga club, former Middlesbrough centre-back Rav van Berg again looks set to play an important role in Köln. The high-profile record summer signing has been repeatedly relegated to the bench in Germany’s cathedral city.

After a solid performance in his most recent league start, along with more hard injury luck in the Kölner central defensive corps, Geißböcke head coach Lukas Kwasniok is prepared to rely heavily on the 21-year-old. Van den Berg should start once more this Friday evening against Augsburg. 

Why hasn’t Rav van den Berg taken off at Köln?

The younger brother of former Mainz and current Brentford professional Sepp van den Berg started two Bundesliga fixtures early this season before succumbing to a shoulder injury. He returned to make four consecutive starts in the final four matchdays of the 2025 calendar year, yet was still considered a transfer flop due to his inconsistent performances.

Kwasniok opted to select lesser knowns to staff his central defensive corps after the turn of the calendar year. Prior to last weekend, Rav hadn’t earned a start since a disappointing matchday 19 outing against Freiburg. Kwasniok handed central defensive starts to natural midfielders and fullbacks such as Eric Martel and Sebastian Sebulonsen. 

Rav did well as the holding centre-back in a back three featuring Cenk Özkacar and Joël Schmied last Saturday. The former EFL Championship professional acted as a calming influence between his two teammates. Additionally, Rav completed 20 sprints and achieved an impressive top speed of 33.7 km/hr (20.9 mph). 

With Schmied now once again out injured. Kwasniok will need even more from van den Berg. The 21-year-old proved a force on set pieces as well following extra training with the dead ball units last week. Kwasniok made clear that he was especially pleased with van den Berg’s progress. 

Kwasniok’s statement on van den Berg

“I saw a very different and very focused Rav,” Kwasniok remarked at the post match press conference. “We worked a lot on set pieces and he proved himself there too. He carried his training performance over, was rock solid, and acted very confidently. That was a good start to being an important part of the team in the next games.”

GGFN | Peter Weis