The drama surrounding Sven Köhler has come to an end: after some back and forth, the captain of Eintracht Braunschweig is transferring to Grasshopper Club Zurich.
Captain Sven Köhler’s request to transfer from Braunschweig had put the club in a difficult position. Coach Heiner Backhaus dropped the center back from the squad for the match against KSC, and Köhler was excused from team training. In principle, however, Backhaus left the door open for the 29-year-old, unlike many BTSV fans, who clearly expressed their opposition to Köhler staying with banners.
Now the drama of the past week at the Lions has come to an end: as Eintracht announced on Monday, Köhler is officially transferring to Grasshopper Club Zurich, closing his chapter in Braunschweig. The defender has signed a contract with the Swiss first division club, currently eleventh in the Super League, until 2028 and will wear the number 27 jersey.
Köhler is leaving Eintracht for a base transfer fee of €300,000 and heading to Switzerland, where clubs can still make transfers until February 16. An additional six-figure sum may also be transferred from Zurich to Braunschweig in the form of bonuses.
Kessel: “We have reached a reasonable agreement”
“After Sven Köhler expressed his desire to leave, our goal was to find a solution as quickly as possible. We have now reached a reasonable agreement with Grasshoppers. We used the last few days of the transfer window to prepare for his departure and believe that our squad is well positioned to achieve our goals for the season, even without Sven. We wish him all the best for his future in Switzerland,” commented sporting director Benjamin Kessel.
Köhler joined Eintracht in the summer of 2024 from Danish first division club Odense BK, having previously gained experience in the German third and second divisions with VfL Osnabrück and, in the meantime, on loan at SC Verl. Köhler made 51 appearances in the blue and yellow jersey, scoring one goal in the DFB Cup defeat to VfB Stuttgart.
“Sven brings extensive experience and leadership qualities and is expected to play an important role both on and off the pitch, giving the team additional stability. His mentality, experience, and character will be good for our team,” said sporting director Alain Sutter in a statement released by the club.
“I am really looking forward to the new challenge at Grasshopper Club Zurich,” said Köhler. “The move here means a lot to me, and I am very happy that it has finally come to fruition. I want to take on responsibility, lead the way, and give everything to ensure that we achieve our common goals.”
