Three teams are fighting for FC Köln: power games and election campaigns are approaching!

Three teams are fighting for FC Köln: power games and election campaigns are approaching!

Things are boiling hot in Cologne: 1. FC Köln is facing perhaps the most exciting elections in its history. On Wednesday night, the members' council presented the new board team for the upcoming club meeting in autumn, which officially heralded the power struggle. For the first time, three teams are competing against each other to succeed the controversial board under President Werner Wolf. BILD reports that this election campaign is anything but ordinary.

Not only old friends like Jörn Stobbe are involved in the debate, but also celebrities from various areas. Stobbe, who served as supervisory board boss for a long time, is proposed by the members' council as a presidential candidate. He is supported by Jörg Alvermann and Ulf Sobek. With the slogan "Clarity. Competence. Cohesion." “Team FC” wants to win the hearts of its members and respond to the needs of the club, especially by promoting a sustainable billy goat home.

Member power and voter trust

But the nominations don't come without backstory. The Members' Council recently passed a vote of no confidence in the current board and recommended that Werner Wolf and his deputies not be discharged. The rejection rate for a board candidate was measured at a whopping 70 percent. A clear sign of mistrust that the members were able to communicate clearly - a startling development that could change the dynamics within the club. According to the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, the Südkurve, an association of active fishing groups, has a significant influence on these decisions. The members' council is currently only partially occupied, which makes the situation even more explosive.

In the shadow of these developments, another team is forming around Wilke Stromann, a friend of football legend Lukas Podolski, who is already looking for ways to return in the fourth week after leaving office. Together with Carsten Wettich and Tugba Tekkal, they are concerned with regaining the club's influence from external investors. Another team is led by Sven-Georg Adenauer, the grandson of Germany's first chancellor. Adenauer offers his connections and experience at the club along with Martin Hollweck and Thorsten Kiesewetter.

A sign of democratization

Preparations for the elections are in full swing. The candidates use social networks, pubs, fan clubs and even the streets of Cologne to recruit members. External consultants support them in these measures in order to position their content clearly: No investors, promotion of the club's home at Geißbockheim, more sports competence, as well as the pursuit of an economically successful 1. FC Köln that is fit for the future in the Bundesliga. These topics reflect the members' desire to have more influence on the club's strategy. The voice of the fans counts more than ever, as the developments at FC Hannover clearly show, where fans have successfully campaigned for democratic participation.

The pressure on the current board could also lead to a conciliatory conclusion - but when and how is uncertain. What remains is the clear signal from the members: They expect a fundamental change in the club's management. How the board members and candidates react to these signs will have a significant impact on FC Cologne in the coming months.

The coming months promise not only excitement, but also profound change for 1. FC Cologne. How the election campaign will develop and which candidates will ultimately win the race remains to be seen. The fans are ready to immerse themselves in a new era of having a say - the cards are being reshuffled.

Bild reports that the election slogan of the different teams
was determined:

A new wind is blowing for 1. FC Cologne. The fans are called upon to actively participate in the organization of the club and to use their influence!

BILD reports, Cologne City Gazette provides further information and effzeh.com analyzes the developments in the club.