New board team at 1. FC Köln: Who will lead the club into the future?

New board team at 1. FC Köln: Who will lead the club into the future?

1. FC Köln is facing a landmark board election, which will take place in autumn 2025. The Members' Council has now announced the names of the proposed team, which consists of Jörn Stobbe as President and the Vice President Prof. Dr. Ulf Sobek and Dr. Jörg Alvermann passes. These personnel have the potential to bring a breath of fresh air into the club and set the course for the future. Loud Express Jörn Stobbe was previously managing director and COO of Union Investment Real Estate and has held a place on the FC supervisory board since 2013. Most recently he was even chairman of this committee.

Ulf Sobek brings valuable experience with him as a former athletics coach at 1. FC Köln and current coach of the U20 national team at the DFB. Jörg Alvermann, on the other hand, is not only a tax lawyer, but also a youth coach at Blau-Weiß Köln, which gives him a special perspective on the club's promotion of young talent. For Stobbe it is important to “connect people and build bridges”, while Sobek emphasizes the importance of youth and increasing market values. Alvermann also advocates for statutory and structural reforms as well as strengthening member rights.

Alternative teams in the race

But the decision won't be easy. In addition to the proposed team, there are two other alternative candidate groups that are also hoping for members' votes. The first team includes entrepreneur Wilke Stroman, former FC player Tugba Tekkal and lawyer Carsten Wettich. The second team consists of politician Sven-Georg Adenauer, butcher Martin Hollweck and management consultant Thorsten Kiesewetter. These alternatives have come forward with their own concepts and have already collected 4,500 signatures in order to be allowed to vote.

But how does the election actually work? The procedure is regulated in the Civil Code (BGB) and stipulates that the election usually takes place during the general meeting. Members decide by a simple majority, with more than 50% yes votes required to elect a candidate. Members who are themselves affected are not allowed to vote. So it remains exciting to see which team ultimately wins the race and wins the support of the members, because the responsibility is not small: the board is the most important executive body of a club and implements the members' decisions.

Planned initiatives and community involvement

Stobbe, Sobek and Alvermann have already outlined some initiatives they would like to launch once they are in office. This includes expanding charitable commitment and promoting popular sports as well as integration. These issues are important not only for the club members, but also for the entire community in which 1. FC Köln is rooted. This makes it clear that the election is an important matter not only for the club, but also for the city of Cologne.

In fact, the new board promises an exciting phase for 1. FC Köln, in which the focus will be on promoting young talent and strengthening member rights. The next few months will decide whether the Stobbe, Sobek and Alvermann team will receive the trust of the members and can continue the positive development.