When the Bundesliga was founded, 1. FC Köln was one of the best teams in German football. Part of that “Effzeh” crew was a man who has now passed away.
1. FC Köln mourns the loss of its former national player Leo Wilden. The former defender died on Thursday at the age of 85, the club announced. Wilden wore the FC jersey from 1958 to 1966 and won the German championship twice with the club during this time: in 1962 the first in the club’s history, in 1964 the first in the newly introduced Bundesliga.
As an indispensable part of the Cologne defense at the time, he is still considered one of the formative players in FC history. With the German selection, Wilden took part in the 1962 World Cup in Chile, but was not used there. Overall, he played 15 international matches.
After his own career, Wilden also supported his club in scouting for talent and earned his living in the wholesale and retail trade for tobacco products: He opened four specialist shops in his hometown, the shop in Cologne-Sülz near Geißbockheim achieved cult status among FC fans.