Key Figures
Harald “Toni” Schumacher - “De Tünn”: the goalkeeper
Harald “Toni” Schumacher - “De Tünn”: the goalkeeper is Köln’s all-time Bundesliga record appearance holder with 422 matches and embodies the full emotional keyboard this club can play.
is Köln’s all-time Bundesliga record appearance holder with 422 matches and embodies the full emotional keyboard this club can play. Cup winner in 1977 and 1983, Double winner in 1978, UEFA Cup finalist in 1986 - and then cast out by both club and national team after publishing his book Anpfiff in 1987. Köln and Toni did not come together again for a long time. Schumacher even coached local rivals Fortuna for half a year, only to be fired by club boss Jean “Schäng” Löring at half-time.
He also worked as goalkeeping coach under Berti Vogts and Klaus Toppmöller at Bayer Leverkusen. Since 2012, however, Toni has been back home, and as vice-president helped lead the club into the Europa League in 2017 before leaving somewhat unwillingly in 2019. How powerful “de Tünn” was in the dressing room was felt by a certain newcomer Jimmy Hartwig in 1984: the cheerful Hessian tried to introduce himself, only for Schumacher to freeze him on the spot. “Hey Hartwig, I’m the boss here, you’ve got nothing to say here, got it?”
Hans Schäfer (1927-2017) - “De Knoll”: the greatest
Hans Schäfer (1927-2017) - “De Knoll”: the greatest player in FC’s pre-Bundesliga era.
player in FC’s pre-Bundesliga era. A Hero of Bern and the only member of Germany’s 1954 World Cup side still active when the Bundesliga began, he lifted the league trophy as captain of the inaugural 1963/64 champions. The left-footed attacker played only for FC from 1948 to 1965 and scored 254 goals in 394 matches.
Wolfgang Overath - “Rastelli”: one of the most
Wolfgang Overath - “Rastelli”: one of the most brilliant midfield conductors of his time.
brilliant midfield conductors of his time. His rivalry with Gladbach’s Günter Netzer became legendary. Overath won it, at least for the 1974 World Cup, where he played in the final and Netzer did not.
At FC he is an absolute legend: 409 Bundesliga matches, 83 goals, title winner in 1964, cup winner in 1968 and 1977. As club president he later ran the club from 2004 to 2011.
Hennes Weisweiler (1919-1983) - “The Don”: no FC
Hennes Weisweiler (1919-1983) - “The Don”: no FC coach was more successful than Don Hennes.
coach was more successful than Don Hennes. With the 1977 cup win and the 1978 Double, he shaped the last truly successful phase in Köln history, when the club belonged among Germany’s and Europe’s elite. The charming Stollwerck chocolate commercials came included. Weisweiler died of a heart attack in 1983.
Lukas Podolski - “The Prince”: FC’s supporters might
Lukas Podolski - “The Prince”: FC’s supporters might probably even have forgiven him had he moved to Gladbach or Leverkusen.
probably even have forgiven him had he moved to Gladbach or Leverkusen. No other player reached comparable popularity after Pierre Littbarski’s departure in 1993. The boy from Bergheim won hearts with witty and sometimes involuntarily comic sayings, and because after the 2004 relegation he stayed for the second tier and became top scorer there in 2005. In 2009 he returned after mixed years at Bayern. When he won the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, some of that shine also rubbed off on Köln, even if he was then an Arsenal player.
Pierre Littbarski - the dribbler: Littbarski moved from
Pierre Littbarski - the dribbler: Littbarski moved from Hertha Zehlendorf to Cologne for 13,000 Deutschmark in 1978.
Hertha Zehlendorf to Cologne for 13,000 Deutschmark in 1978. He broke off his training to become a tax official and competed with Roger van Gool for the right-wing spot under Hennes Weisweiler. Van Gool’s relaxed message to the 18-year-old rookie was: “Today will be your last game.” It was not. Littbarski developed into a regular in 1979/80, then into an international.
After the 1986 World Cup he moved to Racing Paris, then returned in 1987 because of homesickness - and because FC had no money, he effectively financed part of his own transfer by granting the club a loan. In 1993 he moved to JEF United Ichihara in Japan, where he did not get homesick and married again. Later, his first wife sold “the Littbarski collection” online, including awards and memorabilia.
Litti even appeared as a character in a Japanese language textbook.
Bernd Schuster - trouble from the start: Schuster
Bernd Schuster - trouble from the start: Schuster arrived in 1978 from FC Augsburg even though he had already signed a contract with Mönchengladbach.
arrived in 1978 from FC Augsburg even though he had already signed a contract with Mönchengladbach. After 61 Bundesliga games and ten goals for FC, the blond angel moved to Barcelona in 1980. After eight years there he committed the ultimate taboo, switching to Real Madrid, then later Atlético. In 1993 he returned to Germany with Bayer Leverkusen.
More taboo is hardly possible. He could, however, also really play football: in 1994 he occupied all top three places in the ARD Sportschau vote for Goal of the Year.
KOE vs. league average
Key Figures — Update 2020–2026
Anthony Modeste was the goalscorer who fired Cologne into Europe in 2021/22.
Anthony Modeste was the goalscorer who fired Cologne
Anthony Modeste was the goalscorer who fired Cologne into Europe in 2021/22.
into Europe in 2021/22. His move to Dortmund in the summer of 2022 turned out to be a mistake — in Dortmund, the Frenchman failed.
Jonas Hector ended his career in 2023 as
Jonas Hector ended his career in 2023 as a one-club man and a Cologne icon.
a one-club man and a Cologne icon. In more than 300 competitive matches for FC, along with 43 international caps, he embodied everything 1. FC Koln want to stand for: down-to-earth character, loyalty and passion. Particularly noteworthy were Hector’s courageous public comments about his struggles with depression.