1. FC Köln had to wait a quarter of a century, and now the time has come: “Effzeh” is back in the European Cup. After the Bundesliga game against VfL Wolfsburg, the fans knew no stopping.
Anthony Modeste was carried on the hands of the fans in the good tradition, even the pitch of the Cologne stadium and the goal nets were not safe from the crowds of fans. The images were dramatically similar to those from May 20, 2017, when 1. FC Köln returned to international business after 25 years. Subtle difference: This time Effzeh reached the European Cup despite a 0-1 (0-1) defeat against VfL Wolfsburg – thanks to support from rival Bayer Leverkusen.
“Before the season, nobody would have thought that we would see such pictures here,” said Thomas Kessler, head of licensing at 1. FC Köln, on Sky about the peaceful space storm. “If the first disappointment about the defeat is gone, the boys can reward themselves a little today,” explained Kessler, who five years ago was still being celebrated extensively by the fans in the stadium as an FC professional.
The players didn’t celebrate
At least these images were not repeated on Saturday: The team quickly disappeared into the dressing room, they wanted to concentrate on the last Bundesliga game next Saturday at VfB Stuttgart, announced stadium spokesman Michael Trippel.