Fans players enthusiastic
FC celebrates fantastic return to the Bundesliga
01.09.2025 – 9:07 a.m.Reading time: 3 min.
The perfect return to the Bundesliga: 1. FC Köln celebrates a spectacular 4-1 home win against SC Freiburg. The fans cheer over third place.
The 1. FC Köln has returned to the Bundesliga with a bang. After the away win at the start of the season in Mainz, the billy goats achieved a brilliant home win against Freiburg on Sunday in Müngersdorf. Four goals, including third place in the table behind Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt – the start of the season for FC could not have been better.
Accordingly, the fans of the billy goats celebrated their team on the Sunday after the final whistle. The newly formed troop, which also harmonizes surprisingly well under the new coach Lukas Kwasniok. At the end of the round of honor, the southern curve first tuned in “Dat Hätz vun Dr Welt is Kölle” before the followers released the players with the dream of Europe – “one day it will happen” into the cabin.
It fit in Cologne that evening that the fans dreamed of again. Not seriously, but with a little melancholy after the hard years with the descent and anything but considerable climb. This game against Freiburg compensates for hard times behind the goats and their loyal followers. And so they all celebrated exuberantly and with the wink so typical of the Cologne soul towards Europe.
This was also enjoyed by the players, especially the newcomers, who were able to experience the intoxicating atmosphere in front of 50,000 fans in the RheinEnergieStadion for the first time. “The two away games were also special, but that was sensational today,” said match winner Marius Bülter (three goal participations against Freiburg). “If you have looked at how the whole stadium celebrated in between, it’s already cool.”
Bülter came from Hoffenheim, where the fan culture hardly exists. The same applies to Jakob Kaminski, who had initiated the celebrations with his remarkable 1-0. The pole came from Wolfsburg to Cologne. Now both experience what it means to win the first game of the season in a cauldron after an ascent. “We took the whole mood and energy to the square,” said Kaminski. “It is very different for me than in Wolfsburg. The people here are all crazy, I like that.”
The sports director of the billy goats, who signed Bülter and Kaminski this summer, can sing a song about it. Just like the fans. Because Thomas Kessler is Ur-Kölner and ordered the celebrations relaxed. “We are here in Cologne, we are good at taking ourselves-and I heard a lot in the direction today,” said the sports director, referring to the European chants. “We fought a lot to get back to the Bundesliga last year. If you then score four goals in the first home game, people have every right to be happy about it.”
It’s a good thing that nothing will stand in the way. Because the 1. FC Köln is already saying goodbye to the first international break of the season after two match days. Then it continues with the next away game – in Wolfsburg, where a different mood in the stadium will prevail. Until then, the FC fans have enough time to enjoy the table. Third place after two match days is a successful snapshot for FC at a very early time in the season.