Surprise at 1st FC Köln: Gerhard Struber is the first head coach of 1. FC Köln to do without participating in the Rosenmontagszug.
The 1. FC Köln will again traditionally take part in the Rosenmontagszug this year with its own group and its own car. However, there will be a serious change compared to previous years: head coach Gerhard Struber will not be there.
So far, all FC coaches had been pulled through the streets of the cathedral city on a festival car during the Rosenmontagenzug and had thrown strüßje and camels. Peter Stöger (albeit with another carnival society), Markus Beginner, Markus Gisdol, Steffen Baumgart and Timo Schultz – they have all enjoyed the 8.5 kilometer journey through the city with all the celebrations in recent years. Even the rather sober carnivalist Christian Keller was enthusiastic after participating in the train in 2023.
As a new head coach, Struber would have had the opportunity to go on the FC car in this session. But the Austrian does not participate. Instead, Struber will follow the Jecke hustle and bustle on Rose Monday with many players, his coaching team and those responsible from the stands on Heumarkt.
Instead, FC fans can look forward to some FC stars at the Zooch. The places on the car are in great demand every year. After Linton Maina, Davie Selke, Eric Martel and Jeff Chabot had thrown the Strüßje and Kamelle into the colorful crowd last year, the male FC professionals Learst Pacarda, Luca Waldschmidt and Dominique Heintz were allowed to ride on the car in this session.
In addition, license area manager Thomas Kessler and athletics trainer Tillmann Bockhorst are there. There are also women trainer Britta Carlson and the female professionals Adriana Achcinska and Laura Donhauser. U15 coach Benedikt Hammans and Markus Halfmann from the FC Academy are also part of the car. Vice President Carsten Wettich also drives.
As usual, the Rosenmontagszug will start to move at Severinstorburg at 10 a.m. and then move across the city center to Mohrenstrasse. The FC car traditionally starts far behind and will only be shown on the streets for the many jokes much later.