Cologne returns to the Bundesliga, Elversberg competes in the relegation

Completed the ascent, the rescuer mission successfully ended: 1. FC Köln has made direct return to the German Bundesliga under veteran Friedhelm Funkel. The team of the record trainer rose to the upper house for the seventh time against the 1. FC Kaiserslautern – and completed the turbulent season as a second division champion for the seventh time.

Because the Hamburger SV flees in the parallel game at Greuther Fürth (2: 3), Cologne climbed to the top of the table on the last match day. Exactly one year after the bitter descent including « Apocalypse » fears whether the FIFA transfer lock, Eric Martel (14th ‘), Luca Waldschmidt (29th’), Florian Kainz (76. ‘) and substitute Mark Uth (87.’), who played the last game of his career, played up again.

For Mathias Olesen, who like Uth in the 82nd ‘ It was also the last game in the Cologne jersey. The expiring contract of the Luxembourg Wude does not extend. For trainer Funkel it is the seventh ascent as a trainer. The 71 -year -old had taken over as a « rescuer » for the released Gerhard Struber for the last two games of the season – and, as promised, scored two victories.

« It sounds strange, but the 1. FC Köln is a German champion, » stadium spokesman Michael Trippel had said before kick -off – and ensured loud cheers. In the morning, the Cologne U19 selection 5: 4 won in the final for the championship at the Rheinische Rival Bayer Leverkusen. In order to make a successful Cologne Sunday perfect and keep the competitors at a distance, the FC professionals were enough.

Funkel was previously prepared for the season finale, especially in the Causa Tim Lemperle was asked. The 23-year-old had been heavily drunk a week before the season finale. Due to an assault, he suffered a broken nose, the course and the consequences have been permanent since then. Funkel emphasized that the incident « has no influence » on the game at all. Equipped with a special mask, Lemperle first sat on the bench – and came in the final phase.

For him, however, Damion Downs started, who almost had the euphoric start of the hosts in front of 50,000 fans with a hair -raising back pass. But Lautern’s Ragnar Ache failed freely in front of Marvin Schwäbe (7th ‘). Instead, Martel got the lead by head after the flank of Learst Paqarada. Waldschmidt followed up from a short distance – the Cologne south curve shone.

Kaiserslautern, only with minimal opportunities for the ascent, then consolidated something, but always failed due to the Swabian or his own precision. In the second half, only FCK goalkeeper Julian Krahl fought against the defeat – and parried a penalty against Waldschmidt (57. ‘). « The 1. FC Köln is back, » sang fans in the Rhein-Energie Stadium 20 minutes before the final whistle. Kainz increased the euphoria with the third goal.

Heidenheim is waiting

In the coming season, the Cologne team could meet Elversberg in the Bundesliga. The Saarland association, in which the Luxembourg Raphael Duarte works as a co-trainer, asserted itself 2-1 on Schalke, ended the season in third place and thus competes in the relegation.

In front of 62,077 spectators in the Gelsenkirchen Arena, Lukas Petkov (20. ‘) and Maurice Neubauer (47.’) scored the remarkable goals for the club from the small Saarland community of Spiesen-Elversberg. In the decision -making games for the first class, the team of coach Horst Steffen will initially compete in Heidenheim on Thursday. The second leg takes place four days later in front of a home backdrop.