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 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here:
Despite falling behind, Darmstadt secured their second consecutive home win! Darmstadt defeated Energie Cottbus 3-1 (1-1). The home side equalised after conceding an early goal in the four-minute period through Weißhaupt before halftime. Vukotic headed his team into the lead in the second half, before Lührs sealed the victory with the third goal. This home win brings Darmstadt's season total to seven points.
Homegame at Böllenfalltor (10/10, 1pm): Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to the away match in Wolfsburg three weeks ago. Richter and Mikelbrencis come into the starting lineup for Sickinger (calf issues) and Lannert (illness).
On Saturday afternoon (October 10th, 1pm), SV 98 hosts Energie Cottbus at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for Matchday 7. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we have compiled all the key information regarding the game against Cottbus in our "Matchday Guide" feature.