1. FC Cologne - football club

The 1. FC Köln is a football club in Germany that can look back on a long tradition. The association was founded in 1948 and several titles have been celebrated in recent years. With almost 85,000 members, 1. FC Köln is of course the largest club in the city and also the fourth largest football club in Germany.

The beginnings of the clubs

There were numerous football clubs in Cologne until World War II. Whether VfL Cologne 1899, SV Mülheim, SpVgg Sülz 08 or VfRKöln 04. These were still rather small clubs, which of course could not prevail against large clubs. It was not until 1948 that officials and club bosses decided to found an independent large club in Cologne. This club was created as a result of the merger of the district clubs SpVgg Sülz 07 and Cologne BC 01. Even then, the aim was not only to become a machinist in the region, but also to have a say in Germany's top soccer league. Of course, a corresponding home had to be created for this.

The stadium of 1. FC Köln

The stadium known today, which is now called the Rheinenergiestadion, has already been rebuilt and modernized several times. The new arena was opened on January 31, 2004 and served as the venue for many games at the 2006 World Cup. With a capacity of 49,968 spectators, it is one of the largest and most modern football arenas in the Federal Republic of Germany. The home games of 1. FC Köln are mostly completely sold out and due to the well thought-out construction, the atmosphere is always at the usual high level.

The clubhouse - the club complex

Of course, every club also needs its own club house. This clubhouse was built five years after the football club was founded. The home was named after the club's mascot. The "Geisbockheim" now has a restaurant and of course the head office and a fan shop are located in the modern facility.

The mascot of 1. FC Köln

The club's coat of arms shows a billy goat and therefore the mascot "Hennes" is always present at every home game of the club. It was actually intended as a carnival joke a few years ago and at that time nobody could have guessed that a billy billy goat would become the new crowd favorite at 1. FC Köln from this point on. On February 13, 1950, the club was given a billy goat by the circus principal Carola Williams.

As soon as the billy goat and farmer Schäfer arrive in the stadium today, the spectators and fans in the stadium are thrilled.

The presidents of the association

What would a football club be without a president? 1. FC Köln has had no presidents since it was founded. Franz Kremer, who took over his duties at the club for a period of 19 years, is still considered the longest serving president of the club.

Here is a brief overview of the presidents:

1. Franz Kremer (from 1948 to 1967)
2. Werner Müller (from 1967 to 1968)
3. Oskar Maaß (from 1968 to 1973)
4. Peter Weiand (from 1973 to 1987)
5. Dietmar Artzinger-Bolten (from 1987 to 1991)
6. Klaus Hartmann (from 1991 to 1997)
7. Albert Caspers (from 1997 to 2004)
8. Wolfgang Overath (from 2004 to 2011)
9. Werner Spinner (from 2012 -)

The coaches at 1. FC Köln

Of course, the coaches are also responsible for the success of the club. The soccer club from Cologne had 49 coaches to date. At the moment everything listens to a former Austrian international named Peter Störer. He has been in office since 2013, and at the same time has been able to set a positive development at the club. When the Austrian was hired, the opinions of fans and critics differed. Are there no more experienced and good trainers in Germany? Does it have to be an Austrian right now? The football club had to ask itself these and many other questions a short time before and after it was hired. However, the success proved the club's bosses right. The handwriting of Peter Stöger and his coaching staff can be clearly seen.

Of course there were also many other well-known trainers. Among the coaches are names such as Huub Stevens, Bernd Schuster, Christoph Daum and Peter Neururer.

Probably the most valuable and also most successful player for the club is Wolfgang Overath. The player played a total of 542 competitive games for 1. FC Köln and scored 118 goals.

The absolute top scorer in the club's history is and remains Hans Schäfer . With 306 goals, he still holds the club record today.

The U21s of 1. FC Köln

The soccer club also has a second team at the start. With the amateur team U21, talented football players are slowly and carefully introduced to the professional league.

The fans

There is always a great atmosphere and mood in the Rheinenergiestadion. The famous south curve is primarily responsible for this. The active fans are here and ensure the right atmosphere at every home game of the club.

The successes in the club's history

There has been a lot to celebrate at the club since it was founded. Overall, 1. FC Köln won three German championships and four times they were able to call themselves DFB Cup winners. An equally big and important success for the Cologne soccer club is reaching the UEFA Cup final in 1986. In addition, the club has made eight European Cup semi-finals.

In the 2015/2016 season, the club took 9th place in the table. The trend is increasing and of course the fans and loyal supporters want to see a trophy again. With Peter Stöger, things are definitely going in the right direction.

Women's football

1. FC Köln has even been very successful in women's football for many years. The story goes back to 1974. However, there have been some financial problems in women's football for several years and the club has been playing second-rate ever since.

Conclusion

With 1. FC Köln, the Bundesliga has a great football club again. We expect a lot of great and exciting games from the soccer club from the carnival city in the future. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely watch a home game of the club. The entrance fees are very cheap compared to other major clubs. No football fan should miss the great atmosphere and of course the currently very good football.