Want to do it without investors: President Werner Wolf at the launch of the home jersey on August 3rd in Cologne
When the management of 1. FC Köln invited their members to a discussion evening last Sunday, the fans were amazed. Not how to deal with the corona pandemic or the new flat cap from exercise leader Steffen Baumgart should be discussed, but rather the “entry of investors into the clubs”. The fact that the club’s management is now interested in the opinion of fans comes unexpectedly – too often the tablecloth in Cologne-Müngersdorf was already cut. And this despite the fact that the board of the Bundesliga team emphasizes again and again that the club should remain member-managed and independent of investors. The alarm bells are ringing among the traditionalists.
It is known that the Effzeh is more often afflicted by the big man’s addiction. The heated media landscape in and around the metropolis sees the upcoming championship team playing after just a small winning streak. After unsuccessful games, heads are quickly demanded. Even football amateurs should be clear that this is not conducive to the continuous development of a powerful team. Effzeh is “noticeably different”, at least that’s what the club’s new corporate identity claims. In the deliberations of the board of directors, however, it is not a matter of outsourcing the professional operation, which has split entire fan scenes in other cities, such as Bochum and Münster. Spielbetriebs-GmbH was founded in 2002. Some already see an investor like Lars Windhorst (Tennor Holding) coming around the corner.
Investors who drive the money to the club houses with wheelbarrows do not usually achieve quick success. This is currently learning from Bundesliga club Hertha BSC, where Lars Windhorst has held an incredible 66.6 percent of the shares in Spielbetriebs-GmbH der Berliner since 2020. It costs him a slim 375 million euros. A lot of money that flows into the clammy club with which Windhorst would have liked to win the Champions League directly. After a handful of match days, the capital city club is fighting relegation, with no prospect of improvement. And that although sporting director Fredi Bobic was recently signed, who undoubtedly did a fantastic job at Frankfurt Eintracht. Money doesn’t score goals.
But the Cologne native is also frugal. “Et kütt, wie et kütt” (It comes as it comes), says Paragraph 2 of the Cologne Basic Law. There will be troubled times around the Müngersdorfer Stadion when an investor should actually offer to pump money into the club in the future. Despite warning examples, the situation could possibly be uncomfortable for football romantics if a wealthy prospect promises that FC will soon play in the Champions League and thus attract the audience with voting rights to their side. Some active fans, or at least those who were able to put a woodchip wallpaper on a balustrade, already said at the home game against Bochum (August 28): “FC, live the way you are – independent and investor-free”. During the discussion on Sunday, the board and fans first demonstrated unity: “We are convinced that we want to do it without investors,” said President Werner Wolf loudly Cologne Express. But he also said: “If we want to play in the top, we need 25 to 30 million more per year.” One is optimistic that the goal can be achieved without a large investor with a say. Will the Effzeh still be weak if the plan fails?
