The board of directors will not be discharged
There is a toxic atmosphere at 1. FC Cologne
September 25, 2024, 6:18 p.m
After the transfer ban and relegation from the Bundesliga, there is a tense atmosphere at 1. FC Köln. The club’s board of directors felt the ongoing dissatisfaction at the general meeting. President Werner Wolf and his colleagues refuse to resign.
1. FC Cologne cannot calm down. At the annual general meeting of the second division soccer team, the members refused to discharge the board. After a corresponding recommendation from the Members’ Council, just over 51 percent of the members present in the Lanxess Arena voted for this step. “We agree that we don’t want to have a mud fight on stage,” said club president Werner Wolf at the event on Tuesday evening. “I don’t understand why you can’t recommend exoneration. That would be in the event of serious legal misconduct, which in our opinion is not the case.”
A similar incident had only occurred in FC history in 2010. The following year, the leadership trio led by club legend Wolfgang Overath resigned. Wolf and his vice presidents Eckhard Sauren and Carsten Wettich initially refused to step down: “History has taught me: Sudden breaks do not contribute to the positive development of a club. We will continue at least until the end of our term in office,” announced Wolf.
He expressed a similar determination the day after the meeting: “We are firmly convinced that after last season it was right to focus on continuity. This enabled us to stabilize ourselves in a very short space of time. Accordingly, we will continue to do everything we can to “We are committed to ensuring continuity and peace at the Geißbockheim.” But the chances that the trio will be nominated again at the next board election in autumn 2025 appear to have decreased significantly. In addition, according to media reports, Wolf’s colleague Wettich is allegedly thinking about leaving the club soon.
After relegation to the second division in May 2024 and the FIFA transfer ban imposed in December 2023, there is still unrest. Wolf hopes for more harmony: “We take the situation after the general meeting seriously. We were able to get some of our members. The other part clearly expressed their criticism after the relegation and the transfer ban with the vote. At the same time, it is our incentive to In the coming weeks and months, we will be able to better communicate our path to these members and win back their trust.” However, there was little reason for dissatisfaction with the economic figures. Ultimately, the traditional club ended last season with a turnover of 159 million euros and a profit of 11.8 million euros.
