Winter king FC Köln: Struber inspires with record run and emotions!

The 1st FC Köln has experienced an impressive year 2024 under the direction of coach Gerhard Struber. At the age of 47, Struber reflects on the turbulent time he lived through with the team. FC Köln is currently in first place in the league and received the title "Winter King". After a difficult start to the season, the team has been able to collect 19 out of 21 possible points since the beginning of November, which is not exceeded by any other team in the league during this time. In addition, FC has been undefeated for nine competitive games, including four consecutive away win without conceding a goal, which is a new club record.

Struber also commented on the emotional challenges that his time brought with him to the club. In his review, he calls his three top moments: the victory in Berlin, in which 17,000 fans from Cologne supported the team, the trophy victory against FC Kiel after two defeats, which is a symbolic change of direction, and finally the cup quarter-final, which was characterized by an emotional mood in which Dejan Ljubicic converted the decisive penalty shortly before the end.

challenges and stability

in October FC Köln had a difficult phase in which the team lost two games in a row. But both trainers Struber and the team mastered these challenges and found solutions. The unofficial title of the autumn master followed an impressive series of six wins from the last four games, sealed by a 1-0 win in Kaiserslautern. After 17 match days, the FC recaptured the top of the table.

In the past few months, the importance of stability and teamwork has been particularly emphasized. Captain Florian Kainz was positive about the cohesion in the team and the achievements shown. The team goes into the break as a winter king, while Gerhard Struber continues to work on the emotional strength of his team. In addition, Jusuf Gazibegovic from Sturm Graz was presented as a new addition, while Luca Kilian could make another transfer necessary with a new cruciate ligament injury. Co-captain Hübers emphasized the need to continue to be successful in the new year.