Emotional farewell: Georg Koch delights the fans at his last game

Emotional farewell: Georg Koch delights the fans at his last game

An exciting day for the football world! Last Saturday, the terminally ill Georg Koch (52) celebrated his last big football game at his hometown club VfR Marienfeld. Koch, who suffers from pancreatic cancer, organized this special event together with Fortuna legend Mhedi Schröder and Marienfeld's board member Johannes Kaltenbach.

The day was marked by emotions: there was celebration, laughter and tears as people said goodbye to the iconic goalkeeper. As a BILD reporter, I was there and, at Koch's request, I was able to be part of this memorable game myself. Together with prominent teammates like Jörg Albertz, Markus beginning and Sven Demandt, I stood on the pitch to pay my last respects.

A special farewell

A highlight of the afternoon was when Koch and his family walked hand in hand onto the pitch to receive the kick-off. Due to his progressive illness, he can no longer actively participate in the game. "The day and the celebration that followed went exactly as I wanted it to. I will never forget this game and the celebration that followed," he said after the game.

Around 1,400 guests found their way to Much in the municipality of Rhein-Sieg-Kreis. The atmosphere was exuberant, with fries, currywurst and freshly tapped Kölsch that brought back memories of the early days of football. Koch aptly remarked: “That’s how I got to know football and that’s how I wanted to remember it.”

An unforgettable experience for everyone

Despite the emotional strain, Koch was not discouraged by the many requests for autographs and selfies. He patiently took the time for the fans, which made it clear how important this farewell was to him. Even during the subsequent celebration in the party tent, he was able to forget his illness for a brief moment and experienced joy and community.

A very special moment was his performance of the song “Jraaduus” by the well-known band Bap on stage, which brought several tears to the eyes of those present. These moments of humanity and togetherness during difficult times were priceless.

Koch didn't miss the opportunity to talk about Lukas Podolski's recent farewell game in the interview the next day. "My partner went to Poldi's farewell game and paid 175 euros for a ticket. I have no understanding of that," he explained, expressing his opinion that football should be accessible to everyone. "I would have liked to let everyone in for free, but that wasn't possible because the club has to be insured. I had to make the 1 euro entry fee mandatory."

The centerpiece of the game was a charity game, the proceeds of which went to the St. Augustin Children's Cancer Clinic. The exact donation amount is yet to be announced, but the event was a resounding success and reminded everyone in attendance of the importance of community and support in difficult times. Georg Koch's legacy as an authentic character will be sorely missed in the Bundesliga.

For more information, see current coverage on lomazoma.com.