Cologne's talents in the DFB Cup: a breath of fresh air against Stuttgarter Kickers!
- FC Cologne meets Stuttgarter Kickers in the DFB Cup round of 16. Game date: November 7th, 2025, 12 p.m., Franz Kremer Stadium.

- FC Cologne meets Stuttgarter Kickers in the DFB Cup round of 16. Game date: November 7th, 2025, 12 p.m., Franz Kremer Stadium.
Cologne's talents in the DFB Cup: a breath of fresh air against Stuttgarter Kickers!
Next Saturday at 12 noon, the Franz Kremer Stadium in Cologne will be the venue for an exciting DFB Cup round of 16. 1. FC Köln meets the Stuttgarter Kickers, and the omens couldn't be better for the hosts. After their recent victory in the Youth League against the Luxembourg champions, Cologne are clearly favorites. Loud Review online The appearance in the Youth League was seen as a positive impulse for the team.
In contrast, the Stuttgarter Kickers performed rather poorly in the DFB youth league, especially in Group E. They only got five points from nine games and are in second-to-last place. Their only league win came against Unterhaching. However, there is a ray of hope: Simon Djokaj is the team's top scorer on the pitch, who has already scored eight goals.
Preparation and setup
Kickers coach Harun Gülcan is aware of the outsider position and demands maximum intensity and mental stability from his team. In a recent statement, he emphasized the need not to underestimate the people of Cologne. On the other hand, Cologne coach Stefan Ruthenbeck expects a significant improvement from his protégés. He recently drew attention to a lack of teamwork and the overlooking of better-positioned teammates. In order to optimize performance, Cologne is planning to bring several fresh players into the starting line-up.
Players like David Fürst, Kevin Ekweribe, Lennard Völp, Arian Güzel and Thierry Karadeniz could play a role in the lineup discussion. The goal? Cologne's young players should go into the game with momentum and self-confidence!
More exciting games in the region
But it's not just 1. FC Cologne that is in focus. The young teams from the region also have interesting encounters. The B-Juniors of 1. FC Köln face FSV Frankfurt on Saturday at 1 p.m., where they go into the game as leaders in their Group G. Viktoria Köln's U17 juniors have a duel against Borussia Dortmund scheduled on the same day, which is likely to be anything but easy after the first leg defeat of 1:4. The game is scheduled for 11 a.m. in the Aggerstadion Troisdorf.
There will also be a test match in which FC Viktoria Köln's U19s will play against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen on Saturday at 2 p.m. This match will take place at Sportpark Höhenberg and could be a good opportunity for the young talents to show off their skills.
A look into the future of the youth leagues
The reformed DFB youth leagues, which come into force in August 2024, could offer most talents even more opportunities. These new leagues are intended to replace the A and B junior regional leagues and aim to improve the development of young talent in German football. Teams will meet in regional preliminary rounds and showcase their skills across a maximum of eight teams per group. This structure is intended to promote creativity and joy of playing, which ultimately also contributes to strengthening German football Transfer market explained.
Overall, the weekend for Cologne football is packed with action-packed encounters and a clear goal: to score points! The Cologne fans can be excited to see how their teams will perform.