Cologne celebrates return to the Bundesliga - Elversberg dreams of Sensation!

Cologne celebrates return to the Bundesliga - Elversberg dreams of Sensation!

Spiesen-Elversberg, Deutschland - The 1st FC Köln celebrated his return to the Bundesliga on May 18, 2025 after a year of absence. The return succeeded after the team under coach Friedhelm Funkel was able to convince in crucial games. The team took over the team in early May after Gerhard Struber was released, and has a lot of experience in his third term at FC. Under his leadership, the team showed an impressive performance that ultimately secured the climb.

In the last game of the season, the player Kainz scored the decisive 3-0 against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the 76th minute. Kainz ended the season with a total of five goals and contributed significantly to the success of the team. However, FC Köln was accompanied by internal difficulties, especially the departure of Dejan Ljubicic. This was deleted from the squad for the game against the 1st FC Nürnberg, since his expiring contract ends in June and he is planning a move to Dinamo Zagreb.

Change of coach and squad problems

In the past few weeks, Ljubicic has been mentally absent and informed those responsible about his desire to change. New coach Funkel had not taken him into account in the last squad. In addition to Ljubicic, Youngster Max Finkräfe was also missing due to illness. However, the squad was reinforced by the return of Jusuf Gazibegovic after an injury and Learst Paqarada after a lock. Tim Lemperle also found the team back in time for knee problems.

The season ended very differently for the team of Elversberg. With a 2-1 win over Schalke 04, this managed to stay in the league and now dream of new exciting perspectives in the coming season. Kristof, the 25-year-old goalkeeper and son of an Austrian, showed a strong performance and strengthened his place in the team.

With the rise of 1. FC Köln and the remarkable game of Elversberg, exciting times are imminent in the Bundesliga. The change from Ljubicic will certainly have consequences for the management planning of the next season. Fans and responsible persons look forward to the upcoming decisions and developments.

For more information on coaching changes in the Bundesliga, please visit Transfer market .

Read more about the rise of 1. FC Köln at Kleine Zeitung On Tag24 .