Good to Know

Over five decades in the Bundesliga, 1. FC Köln have repeatedly made headlines through power struggles in the boardroom. Cologne-style cronyism, intrigue and backstabbing "at their best" are part of the club's DNA — a footballing Westeros with a Game of Thrones attitude.

No president held office longer than the "Boss" — Franz Kremer. He led the club for 20 years from 1948 until his sudden death in 1967 — the most successful era in club history. That is well known in Cologne fan circles. Less well known is that Kremer (quote: "Do you want to become German champions with me?") was notoriously heavy-handed, interfering with team selection and falling out with coaches.

The Boss, Franz Kremer, insisted on having his say. Autocratic and convinced of his own infallibility, he wanted to influence squad composition and team selection. Hennes Weisweiler, unable to implement his vision, left in frustration — first to Viktoria Köln on the right bank of the Rhine. When he failed to break the dominance of 1. FC Köln there, Weisweiler moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he built a dynasty that would torment the Effzeh for years.

1. FC Köln's last major title came in the 1977/78 season. Under Hennes Weisweiler, the Cathedral City club won the Double of championship and cup. Borussia Mönchengladbach's 12-0 win over Borussia Dortmund under coach Udo Lattek was not enough. Every FC fan knows this story. What few know: without one of Weisweiler's greatest defeats — his departure from Cologne in the early 1960s — the Double would never have happened.