Köln (or Cologne) is the cultural centre of Germany’s Rhineland, hosting a wealth of museums, galleries and, like all good cities, one very interesting football club. A club with a magnificent 50,000 seater-stadium which creates one of the nation’s finest atmospheres.
1.FC Köln were Bundesliga stalwarts until 1998 when they slipped into the second tier. Until that campaign, they’d been in the top flight since the Bundesliga’s inception and were the first team to win the title. They were crowned champions again in 1978, truly cementing themselves as one of the country’s fiercest clubs. 20 years later, they dropped down to the second tier.
Looking back retrospectively like this makes that relegation seem so peculiar. The same can be said for their relegation in 2018 too, a year after securing a fifth placed finish in the Bundesliga.
But those darker times are in the rear-view. The Billygoats clinched the Bundesliga 2 title at the first time of asking, securing a return to the big time. Now’s the time to look forward once more.
Your job as manager in FM20 is to keep the team up, something that can be just as exhilarating as challenging at the top of the league, so read our Byline article for our full team report.