During the mid-season board meeting it was agreed that 1. FC Köln should analyse potential stadium sites in case they had to abandon RheinEnergie Stadion.

Almost every game at their stadium is sold out, but “their stadium” simply isn’t theirs. Meanwhile, the city of Cologne has already rejected buy-out offers twice, deeming them too low. Proposed expansion by no less than 10,000 also wasn’t met with the enthusiasm that 1. FC Köln would have expected.

All of the above resulted in conclusions made during yesterday’s mid-season meeting of the club’s board. During discussions members agreed that not only should the club opt for stadium expansion in the medium term, they should also analyse potential sites for a new one, built entirely privately.

While we’ve already known of the threat of 1. FC Köln moving out, this last step is a new one. It’s also a way of pressuring the city to reconsider what kind of future the current RheinEnergie Stadion should have.

Current lease for the Müngersdorf stadium was signed in 2014 and means 1. FC Köln will continue paying €7.9 million annually until 2024. What happens afterwards is yet to be determined but clearly the club aren’t settled for status quo.

Photo: dronepicr (cc: by)

Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas (cc: by-sa)