News blog about 1. FC Cologne
El Mala reacts to a missed shot – DFB admits mistakes
Updated April 26, 2026 – 2:13 p.mReading time: 17 minutes
1. FC Köln is fighting to stay in the Bundesliga. In the news blog on t-online you will find all the important news about the Geißbockheim.
DFB admits: Penalty against 1. FC Köln was a mistake
Once again referee trouble 1. FC Cologne. In the 1-2 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen, the guests received a controversial hand penalty. Although Eric Martel had his arm on, referee Robert Hartmann pointed to the spot shortly before the end of the first half. Patrik Schick gave the Werkself the lead.
Hartmann admitted after the final whistle that he would “feel better if I had decided to continue playing.” On Sunday, the DFB also confirmed that the penalty was a wrong decision. Alex Feuerherdt, spokesman for the referees, told Kicker: “The player moves his arm behind his body and tries to avoid handball by holding his arm. In such cases, a decision should not be made on criminal handball.”
In the 1-2 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen, Said El Mala missed the huge opportunity to give 1. FC Köln a 1-0 lead. After 35 minutes, the Billy Goats’ storm star only hit the post from a tight angle and not the empty goal.
“Sometimes there are just games in which the ball doesn’t want to go into the goal – that’s part of sport too,” said El Mala, reacting to his missed big opportunity via Instagram. His promise before the remaining three games: “We will continue to do everything we can to keep this club in the league.”
1. FC Köln does not show the competition’s scores
With this measure, those responsible want to prevent the situation on the other pitches from being passed on to the players. Coach René Wagner emphasized the clear line: “We only care about ourselves.” If you want to follow the other results live in the stadium, you will have to use your smartphone.
