FC Cologne Fined €60,000 for Fans Damaging Emirates Stadium
Oct 30, 2017
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Fans of Koeln are seen during the UEFA Europa League group H match between Arsenal FC and 1. FC Koeln at Emirates Stadium on September 14, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by TF-Images/TF-Images via Getty Images)
German outfit FC Cologne have been fined €60,000 (£53,000) by European football's governing body, UEFA, and forced to pay Arsenal damages following their UEFA Europa League meeting at the Emirates Stadium in September.
Cologne were allocated 3,000 tickets but more than 15,000 made their way to north London, reported the London Evening Standard's James Olley:
UEFA fine Cologne 60,000 euros & ban club from selling tickets for next UEFA away game, although the latter is deferred for 2 years.
According to the report, Cologne's travelling supporters were found guilty on four charges—crowd disturbances, setting off fireworks, throwing objects and acts of damage—while Arsenal escaped any punishment.
The Times' Henry Winter provided a more comprehensive breakdown of the charges applied to both teams:
It's been suggested the ease with which Cologne fans were able to buy tickets from touts outside the venue aided the disturbances, although the result was not what the guests hoped for as Arsenal ran out 3-1 winners.
Cologne's reported ban from selling tickets is suspended for two years and thus doesn't present an immediate problem, although Gracenote Sports statistician Simon Gleave spotted a flaw with such a punishment in general:
In other words, the solution (albeit suspended) to a situation in which fans bought tickets from the team they were visiting is to ban the sale of tickets by Cologne? Won't that just create the same problem again?
It's unspecified as to how much the Bundesliga team will be expected to pay Arsenal in their settlement, the Telegraph's Sam Wallace reporting at the time that Arsenal fans were left "unsafe" as a result of their fans' actions.
Kick-off at the Emirates was delayed by an hour as a result of the breach, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger spoke after the match of what ran through his head:
"I had all kinds of plans to think about. Do we play tomorrow? What time? Or next week? But they had a Bundesliga game and we had the League Cup. Do we move it to Tuesday and play Thursday?
"At some stage I thought they will not play the game. I cannot see the police taking any risk. We live in a society of 100 per cent security and I thought they wouldn't take the risk. Our supporters dealt well with the situation and I hope that nothing happens after the game."
Despite not incurring any fines of their own, Arsenal have announced they will review their Family and Friends plan, which allows one club member to buy multiple tickets in certain fixtures.
Cologne Issues Statement Condemning Fan Unrest Before Arsenal Match
Sep 15, 2017
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: General view of FC Koln fans during the UEFA Europa League group H match between Arsenal FC and 1. FC Koeln at Emirates Stadium on September 14, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Bundesliga team FC Cologne condemned the behaviour of some of their fans ahead of and during the UEFA Europa League match against Arsenal on Thursday, but also called out the lack of tickets for traveling fans, second-market ticket prices and inadequate organisation on the part of the Gunners.
The team released a lengthy statement via their official website in which they addressed all these points, and reserved a section for some of their unruly fans:
"That said, 1. FC Koln would like to unmistakably make it clear that there is no excuse or justification for the fact that a group of so-called disturbers threatened, insulted, and even attacked stewards and police officers without cause. We distance ourselves from this explicitly."
The club emphasised they were not responsible for the behaviour of the "so-called disturbers" but offered their apologies to Arsenal, nonetheless:
"These people are solely responsible for the fact that a football match with a special meaning for an entire region, as well as the courageous effort of our team on the pitch, had to be overshadowed by scenes that had nothing to do with sport and fair play. Although 1. FC Koln is not responsible for the acts of these so-called disturbers, we ask our English hosts to accept our apology."
Kick-off for the match was delayed by one hour after more than 10,000 German fans showed up to the Emirates Stadium. Per Joe Mewis and Alex Richards of the Daily Mirror,Cologne were only allocated 3,000 tickets.
Fans succeeded in entering the home sections of the stadium, leading to an odd atmosphere inside the ground, as well as a few minor incidents involving stewards. Per Sam Wallace of theTelegraph, the Cologne fans weren't exactly hiding:
Cologne score & German fans celebrating throughout the home areas in front of press box. Arsenal fans now demanding the stewards remove them
Arsenal won the match 3-1, but the back pages mostly focused on the fan unrest after the contest. Sports writer Archie Rhind-Tutt implored fans not to get caught up in the narrative, however:
The Gunners will face Cologne again on November 23.
Cologne Led onto Pitch by Children with Rifles as Part of Carnival Celebrations
Jan 25, 2016
There was an unusual and slightly terrifying sight in the Bundesliga on Saturday, as Cologne were led onto the pitch for their match with Stuttgart by children bearing rifles.
The festive outfits and accessories were on display to celebrate the city's Carnival, with the home players also wearing special Carnival kits.
Unfortunately, it did little to inspire the local team, with Stuttgart eventually running out 3-1 winners.
Cologne Set Example for Bundesliga by Disowning Hooligan Fan Group
Feb 17, 2015
Police arrest a Cologne fan after they stormed the pitch after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and 1. FC Cologne in Moenchengladbach, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015. Moenchengladbach defeated Cologne in overtime with 1-0. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Anyone who tuned in late to Borussia Monchengladbach's 1-0 win against Cologne last weekend may have mistaken what they saw for a weird spinoff of Breaking Bad.
After Granit Xhaka's stoppage-time winner, a unit of apparent Walter White-in-uniform clones scaled Borussia-Park's barriers and stormed onto the pitch. Accompanied by flares, the crowd of boilersuit-donning fans made a mess of the end of the match before being cleared from the pitch.
Fans of local rivals Gladbach and Cologne also clashed last September, and in light of repeated incidents and growing tensions between the local supporters, the visiting club decided on Monday to throw the proverbial book at the pitch invaders.
Those who stormed the pitch were promptly deprived of their club member status (official statement here, in German). The offenders were hit with stadium bans and their season tickets were rescinded. Additionally, the "Boyz" club was stripped of its fan club status and removed from Cologne's "Fan Culture" association.
"These people harm FC," read a headline on the Cologne website (in German) after the match. The accompanying article revealed that the club's authorities were evaluating photographic evidence to identify the perpetrators. The club posted nine photos of pitch invaders on their website along with a harshly-worded statement that condemned the hooligans for bringing Cologne, its members, supporters and corporate partners into disrepute and for destroying the club's fan culture. The statement clarified the club's position that such ultras have no place in the stands and requested that fans do their part in helping the club in their endeavors to identify the offenders.
Saturday's events were just the latest in rapidly-rising tensions at the Rhine derby. Last September's fixture between the two teams was marred by rioting as well, albeit outside the stadium, as a rivalry that had been on hiatus for two years as Cologne languished in the 2. Bundesliga suddenly roared back to life. In their pre-match choreography, fans of hosts Cologne had shown an image of a decapitated foal, the symbol of Gladbach.
Last Saturday, Gladbach fans responded with a banner depicting a billy goat (Cologne's mascot) being spanked, much to visiting fans' chagrin. The pitch invasion was by far the most extreme form of in-stadium fan hostility in the clubs' recent history, though. It wasn't just that Cologne ultras stormed the pitch: Video footage from the stands later posted on YouTube (warning:violent footage) showed that the invaders were later beaten by Gladbach fans, with the stewards seemingly reluctant to intervene.
In context, perhaps, Cologne's reaction may have been less drastic and more necessary than initial looks suggested. Ultras from both clubs have in recent times repeatedly contributed to the escalation in tensions at the Rhine derby, but the Geissbocken have an especially ugly history of hooliganism in recent times. Among professional German clubs, only Hannover and 1860 Munich were (via German Fanzeit.de) fined more than Cologne last season. Eventually, there had to be a breaking point, and this time the club did not wait for league authorities to reach a verdict before imposing their own sanctions.
As a club, Cologne took the moral high road by denouncing the hooligans that ought not to represent their association, that mar its rich history and traditions. They've taken bad news and made a positive out of it by ridding themselves of a cancer that otherwise could have festered and led to further aggression and possibly uglier scenes further down the road.
Although hooliganism is not exactly the Bundesliga's biggest problem, ultras around the league will take note of the example Cologne have made and will be more reluctant to engage in the asocial and utterly stupid activities of the Boyz. In effect, Cologne have not only helped snuff out extremism in their own derby with Gladbach but helped the league as a whole. Whoever said small clubs couldn't have a big impact?
Is Koln's Timo Horn Bundesliga's Next Great German Goalkeeper?
Sep 26, 2014
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - JUNE 04: Goalkeeper Timo Horn catches the ball during a Germany U21 training session at Hodorov training ground on June 4, 2013 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
If you are searching for the Bundesliga's next great German goalkeeper, Koln's Timo Horn is a name you need to know.
Nation
Position
Age
Height
Weight
Germany
GK
21
6'4"
183 lbs
Horn went 365 minutes without conceding a goal in the Bundesliga until Hannover 96 centre-forward Joselu scored.
Starting the season with four successive clean sheets, Horn accomplished an achievement that was not matched by any Bundesliga goalkeeper.
Earlier in the season, Horn kept his clean-sheet run going by acrobatically rebuffing the dipping shot of Stuttgart central attacking midfielder Daniel Didavi.
What a great save, though that effort was bettered.
Horn pulled off a world-class stop to deny Paderborn centre-forward Elias Kachunga, who momentarily thought he had a tor des monats (goal of the month) contender.
When Horn valiantly snatched the ball from Hamburg centre-forward Pierre-Michel Lasogga, it proved the Koln goalkeeper "wants to go into regions where you can't go" and "wants to get balls you can't get."
The two aforementioned quotes were how Rolf Kahn described his son, Oliver, per Amy Lawrence at The Observer (h/t The Guardian).
Oliver Kahn finished with eight Bundesliga titles at Bayern Munich, was the Man of the Match in the 2001 UEFA Champions League final, and became the first ever goalkeeper to receive the Golden Ball at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Kahn started his career at mid-table club Karlsruher, a comparable situation to Horn, who is at Koln, a team with a modest ceiling and floor.
Ceiling: Koln finish in the top half of the Bundesliga.
Floor: Koln avoid relegation to the 2. Bundesliga.
The orange streaks in his hair, the confident demeanour and the special goalkeeping talent Horn possesses will draw comparisons to Kahn.
Yet, two more natural and inevitable comparisons will be former Koln goalkeepers Harald Schumacher and Bodo Illgner.
Schumacher was a member of Koln's 1977-78 Bundesliga winning squad and was ranked as Kicker's best goalkeeper for the 1983-84 Bundesliga season.
Illgner was West Germany's 1990 FIFA World Cup-winning goalkeeper.
"The goalkeeper usually joins the national team at the mid-twenties, the late twenties, even over the 30s," Illgner said, per Earl Nurse and Eoghan Macguire at CNN. "I was very, very lucky to have the confidence of Franz Beckenbauer. [At 23 years of age] I was a baby in the goal."
Horn's stock—€3/£2.3 million, per Transfermarkt—will drastically increase should he extend his purple patch into his regular form.
Koln management want Horn to have a lengthy tenure at the club, as was the case with Schumacher (1972-1987) and Illgner (1985-1996).
"I am willing to extend [my contract], because I grew up at FC Koln," Horn said, per Kicker (h/t Jonny Walsh at Vavel). "I'm very proud to be part of this club."
Two years ago, then-Koln (now Fortuna Dusseldorf) goalkeeper Michael Rensing, a former Bayern No. 1, was unceremoniously dumped for Horn.
It was a radical U-turn as Rensing was rated by Kickeras the Bundesliga's No. 1 goalkeeper the previous season and Koln had given him a vote of confidence, per Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger (h/t Thomas Zocher at Sky Sports).
"It is important for us that this step is not seen as a decision against Michael Rensing, but rather as one pro Timo Horn," Koln's then-sporting director Frank Schaefer said, per FIFA's official website. "[Horn] feels ready to take the next step and we also have faith in him. [He] is the first face of the revolution."
Horn has vindicated Koln management.
In the 2. Bundesliga, he was tied with Greuther Furth's Wolfgang Hesl as Kicker's best goalkeeper.
By the end of this season, Horn could be the No. 1 goalkeeper in the Bundesliga.
German Soccer Video: Players Decide Penalty Kicks with Rock, Paper, Scissors
Nov 28, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8RlAlY2hMs
One, two, three, shoot. I guess in the following case it would be eins, zwei, drei.
The question of justice and truth has long been debated. What's fair to one person may seem criminal to another. Unless, of course, you are talking about rock, paper, scissors.
The act of throwing out the depiction of a rock, a piece of paper or a set of scissors is considered by just about everyone to be the epitome of tried and true.
That is why it comes as no surprise that two German footballers decided to settle an on-field dispute in this manner. Ink a bink a bottle ink and Superman, Superman fly away may have also been considered.
Steve DelVecchio of Larry Brown Sports reports the act comes during Friday's match between Gladbach and Cologne. Gladbach was rewarded a penalty kick.
The question then came own to who would take the prized kick. Marco Reus and Mike Hanke decided to do the only thing that could settle such a question and went to the hands for answers.
From Yahoo Sports, Reus states what was the impetus behind the spirited game within a game.
We didn't want to make fun of anyone. Mike was supposed to be the shooter, but he already had a brace. And I also wanted to score. That's why I suggested that we figure it out.
They may not have wanted to make fun of anyone. But by leading 3-0 and going to a child's game to settle a dispute, I can see where their opposition would be irate.
I say, as long as they didn't sit on the ground an go into a rousing game of Duck, Duck, Goose, all was saved.
Schalke-Cologne: Match Preview
Mar 6, 2009
Schalke vs. Cologne, Bundesliga, March 6, 2009
Seventh-placed Schalke 04 kick off the weekend’s action in Bundesliga on Friday night against 10th-placed Cologne.
With the German League still wide open, it speaks volumes that Schalke are found wallowing in mid-table having failed miserably to live up to their high preseason expectations.
After an early Champions League exit, Schalke’s latest setback arrived in the cup on Wednesday night as they fell in the banana-skin tie to second-division Mainz.
Unless Schalke can find some form quickly in the league, European football next term will be nothing more than a pipe dream.
A forensic examination of Schalke’s performances this term reveals that Fred Rutten’s side actually boast the most miserly defense in the league having just conceded just 21 goals all season (four less than Borussia Dortmund).
It has been up top where the problems have been found. Schalke is proving impotent in front of the goal with only 29 goals scored in 24 matches. With goals at a premium, Kevin Kuranyi will once again be relied upon to lead the front line, while Halil Altintop and Gerald Asamoah will both be desperate to add more than their poultry four goals combined this season.
But being the hosts should give Schalke encouragement for Friday night, having dropped just nine points and conceded just six goals in front of their fans all season.
Making this match so difficult to predict though is the form of their opponents, Cologne. In 11 matches on the road this season, Cologne has won five, lost five, and drawn one. And in doing so they have managed to score at least once in their last six away games.
Milivoje Novakovic has been Christoph Daum’s main source of goals this campaign, with the striker chalking up an impressive 12 goals in just 22 appearances. And having been out of the goals for a few weeks now, Schalke will be hoping that the Slovenian striker will have another off night. (Novakovic is 2/1 to score during the match.)
In the first half of the season Cologne narrowly defeated Schalke 1-0. And if there was ever a team likely to poop on Schalke’s home parade, Cologne would be the team.
