Kölle Alaaf! On Rose Monday, the traditional "Zoch" (parade) once again paraded through the streets of Köln starting at 11:11am. 1. FC Köln's parade number 72 was right in the middle of it all. But unlike in the second division, the Billy Goats had to wait right at the back of the queue. On the festively decorated Effzeh float, selected players, coaches, and officials celebrated exuberantly with the crowd. Not there: coach Gerhard Struber. But not because he preferred to sit in his office and prepare for the upcoming opponent. Rather, he wanted to observe the spectacle from the outside at his first Carnival in Köln. Manager Thomas Kessler had given the team the green light for the celebrations, but one thing was clear to everyone: the next day was more hard work – preparation for the important match against SSV Ulm.
Final score in match 1 after Rose Monday: 1-0 for 1. FC Köln! Luca Waldschmidt scored the decisive winner for Köln in the 86th minute. Thanks to the three points, 1. FC Köln climbed from fifth to second place – back into a direct promotion spot.
On Saturday (March 15, 8:30pm), the FC faces SV Darmstadt 98. With a little help, the Cologne club could even take the lead in the table. In the first leg, Darmstadt celebrated a convincing 5-1 home victory, marking their first home win in 383 days. We take a closer look at Darmstadt’s upcoming opponent.
| Top Scorers |
Top Assists |
| Damion Downs – 9 Goals | Linton Maina – 10 Assists |
| Tim Lemperle – 8 Goals | Leart Paçarada – 7 Assists |
| Luca Waldschmidt – 4 Goals | Tim Lemperle – 4 Assists |
| Dejan Ljubicic – 4 Goals | Damion Downs – 3 Assists |
| Linton Maina – 3 Goals | Dejan Ljubicic – 3 Assists |
„Führen, Achisten, Leben“ (Lead, Perform, Live) by Fredmund Malik is Gerhard Struber’s favorite book, as he revealed in an interview with the Express newspaper. The book revolves around leadership and management – a topic of central importance to the FC Köln coach. „The coaching job means leadership every day,“ emphasised the 48-year-old. His ability to successfully lead his team is reflected in the current league table: 1. FC Köln is in second place in the crowded 2. Bundesliga promotion battle. Struber thus lives up to the fans‘ high expectations. His vision for the future of „Effzeh“ is clear: „To become a stable Bundesliga team.“ Struber didn’t need much time to settle in Köln. „The open nature of the people made it very easy for me,“ he said of his first months in the cathedral city. His family also likes Köln. „It reminds us a bit of Vienna – the vibrancy, the diversity. There are cool restaurants and lots of things to do.“ Before joining FC, the Austrian from Kuchl had already gained extensive coaching experience. In his home country, he managed clubs including FC Liefering, Wolfsberger AC, and Salzburg. His resume also includes a year in England with FC Barnsley, as well as a three-year coaching stint in New York. But for him, one thing is clear: „There aren’t many clubs as cool as FC on this planet.“
Köln are more committed to forcing goals than any other club. They have by far the most shots in the second Bundesliga (401). In comparison, second-placed Magdeburg have only managed 376 shots so far. The Billy Goats are also very strong in the air. With a total of 493 aerial duels won, they rank fourth in this category – behind Münster (594), Regensburg (559), and Schalke (506). A look at the percentage of aerial duel wins changes the picture: The Lilies lead the statistics with 55.1 percent of aerial duels won, while Köln are right behind with 54.5 percent.
December 2024 – a sharp pain in his thigh immediately after celebrating a goal. A few days later, it’s clear: Tim Lemperle, FC Köln’s top scorer in the first half of the season, has to take a break due to a muscle injury. At the time, the Köln team still thought Lemperle wouldn’t miss too many games due to the injury. And that’s exactly what happened: After the winter break, Lemperle returned to the pitch at the end of January. However, not for long, because Lemperle’s appearance against SV Elversberg came too early and the injury flared up again.
Now the striker is about to make his second comeback. Lemperle has been back in team training with the Billy Goats since last week. Against SV 98, he could be enough for the first few minutes. With him, Köln gains considerable attacking power: The striker has scored an impressive eight goals and provided four assists in 16 second-division matches so far. The Lilies‘ defence could have its hands full here. „Tim has made great progress in his development. (…) In the current season, he is showing how important he is for our game,“ said Thomas Kessler, head of professional players at 1. FC Köln, in an interview with the Geissblog about the attacker’s importance.
SV Darmstadt 98 informed all season ticket holders about the season ticket procedure for the 2026/27 season on Wednesday (May 6th) and would also like to share this letter on the club's own website.
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.