General meeting
Thanks to the European Cup and transfers: Cologne with a positive result
1. FC Köln achieved a positive result last season. photo
© Christophe Gateau/dpa
Last year, 1. FC Cologne was still a “restructuring case”. The Bundesliga soccer team is far from healed, but a first step has been taken.
Also because of participation in the Conference League and player sales, Bundesliga football team 1. FC Köln achieved a positive result last season.
The KGaA’s record sales of 172.2 million euros and the profit of 12.4 million euros after taxes were achieved “significantly through special effects,” explained managing director Philipp Türoff at the general meeting. Participation in the European Cup generated sales of around 13 million euros, and the sales of Anthony Modeste and Salih Özcan to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022 brought in around ten million euros. “That puts the strong result into perspective,” said Türoff: “Because it cannot be repeated at will.” Liabilities fell from around 66 to 50.5 million euros.
“Continue on the path to financial recovery”
Last year, Türoff described the club as a “case of restructuring”. Even after the positive year, the all-clear cannot be given completely. “We must consistently continue on this path to financial recovery. We are on the right track, but we are not there yet.”
The year was made more difficult by the fact that the club had already “forefasted” around twelve million euros in sponsorship income during the Corona period at a time when 1. FC Köln was not doing well, said Türoff. This will still affect around four million euros in the current season. The FC then hopes to be able to dispose of all of its sponsorship income.
After the unsuccessful start to the season with just one point from five games, Cologne is already back in the relegation battle early on. In addition, there is still a risk of a transfer ban by the world association FIFA, against which an appeal is currently pending before the International Court of Arbitration for Sports (Cas).