The Ultimate 1. FC K - American History Information Guide and Reference

1. FC Köln is the pre-eminent football club in Cologne, Germany. The club was formed in 1948. It was a founding member of the West German Bundesliga and won the championship in its inaugural season of 1963/1964. In all, 1. FC Köln has won the domestic championship three times and the German Cup four times, including the double in the 1977/1978 season.

In the early years of the Bundesliga, Cologne (called "Der FC" by it´s fans) was the most successful club in West Germany in terms of total points won; however since the early 1980s the club has suffered a decline in achievement and in 1999 it was relegated for the first time. In recent years it has been flitting between the top and second divisions. It´s most recent move between the two divisions was relegation from the First Bundesliga at the end of the 2003/04 season.

The club's most famous tie came in 1965 in the quarter-finals of the European Cup, where they met England's Liverpool F.C.. After two 0-0 draws, a third match was played which also ended in a 2-2 stalemate. As the penalty shootout was yet to be instigated as a means of deciding a tie, Köln went out of the competition on the toss of a coin.

In common with many German professional football clubs, 1. FC Köln also incorporates teams playing other sports, in their case specifically handball, table tennis and gymnastics.

Contents