- Event: Mutual contract termination
- Club: FC Carl Zeiss Jena
- Player: Kay Seidemann (25 years old, Midfield)
- Reasons: Persistent rejection by parts of the fan scene, training deficits, sick leaves
- Outlook: Agreement with BSG Chemie Leipzig is imminent according to media reports
Jena, February 25, 2026. FC Carl Zeiss Jena is drawing a final line under an increasingly burdensome personnel matter. The Thuringian Regionalliga club has dissolved the contract with midfielder Kay Seidemann by mutual agreement. This means the 25-year-old is leaving the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld after about one and a half years, which were characterized by sporting highs but, above all, by immense atmospheric disturbances.
What happened?
According to official club information, the cooperation was formally ended at the end of last week. The separation was preceded by a months-long sporting and personal downward trend for the player. Although Seidemann was quite convincing in his debut season at the Kernberge with ten goals and five assists in 24 appearances, the situation has escalated drastically since last summer.
Seidemann recently stood out due to frequent absences from training. At the beginning of this year, he also missed the team’s important winter training camp in the Türkei. The official reason given was a lack of fitness. Sporting director Miroslav Jovic and head coach Volkan Uluc subsequently prescribed an individual development program for the player in Jena. However, the hoped-for turnaround did not materialize. After Seidemann called in sick again at the beginning of the week and was not in the squad for the 3:2 friendly win against Plauen, those in charge pulled the plug.
Background: The deep rift between player and fan scene
The purely sporting deficits of the past weeks were, however, only the final straw. The core problem lay in the player’s past. Kay Seidemann was brought to Jena in the summer of 2024 by the then sporting director Stefan Böger – a transfer with massive explosive potential. Seidemann previously had a past with arch-rivals Rot-Weiß Erfurt and had made several negative comments about FC Carl Zeiss Jena during that time.
In a football-crazy city like Jena, where the Thüringenderby against Erfurt represents the most emotional encounter of the year, parts of the active fan scene never forgot these statements. In the area of the prestigious Südkurve, Seidemann was systematically rejected. The situation took on almost grotesque forms: after victories, the 25-year-old was not allowed to celebrate with the team in front of the fan block. Instead, other stadium areas, such as the Haupttribüne, reacted with expressions of solidarity for the player. This open conflict in the stands split the spectators and represented a noticeable permanent burden for the entire club environment.
Sporting classification at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld
The fact that sporting director Miroslav Jovic had to intervene personally at times and even picked the player up from home to drive him to training underlines how intensively the club tried to save the situation. The Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld, nestled at the foot of the Jenaer Kernberge, is considered an emotional cauldron that can inspire players but also put them under enormous pressure. The persistent headwind from the Kurve ultimately seemed to have left marks on Seidemann that made professional performance in the FCC jersey impossible.
Conclusion and outlook: What happens next?
With the contract termination, there is now clarity for both sides. FC Carl Zeiss Jena ends a misunderstanding that cost a lot of energy and can now concentrate fully on the sporting tasks in the Regionalliga Nordost. For Kay Seidemann, on the other hand, a new door is apparently already opening: according to consistent media reports, the 25-year-old is close to signing with league rivals BSG Chemie Leipzig. There, he could attempt a sporting fresh start, far away from the constant discussions about his Erfurt past.
We will keep you informed about all further developments regarding FC Carl Zeiss Jena and the sporting events in our city.
Source:
Bang at Carl Zeiss Jena! Now it is finally over
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.