Stapelmann with golden gate
© Imago
The 1.FC Cologne has won the German A-Junior Championship for the first time in over 50 years. The U19 of coach Stefan Ruthenbeck won the final on Sunday afternoon in the local derby against Bayer 04 Leverkusen after a peat festival with 5: 4 (4: 2). Central defender Luis Stapelmann scored the decisive goal in front of 24,250 fans in the Leverkusener Bayarena in the 82nd minute.
Bayer’s juniors who are trained by Sergi Runge took the lead through a double strike by Artem Stepanov (8th) and Naba Mensah (28th). Before the break, the goats made the game with two double packs by Youssoupha Niang (35./36.) And U17 world champion Justin von der Hitz (39./45.+1). Stepanov, loan, and from the Hitz as a fixed transfer will play together for 1. FC Nürnberg from summer.
In the second half, Bayer came back through a penalty (66.) and Kerim Alajbegovic (77th) converted by Francis Onyeka, and had introduced the transfer market in the Talenten Calendar in 2024 (to the portrait). In the final phase, however, Stapapelmann headed a corner, unsustainable by Stepanov, to the winning goal.
Cologne last won the final in 1971. In three attempts – 1974, 1983 and 1992 – the club was inferior. Leverkusen is a triple champion, won the title 1986, 2000 and 2007, and now lost seven times in the final: 1985, 1988, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2010 and 2025.