SC Fortuna Köln facts for kids
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| Full name | Sport-Club Fortuna Köln e.V. | ||
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| Founded | 1948 | ||
| Ground | Südstadion | ||
| Capacity | 11,748 | ||
| Chairman | Hanns-Jörg Westendorf | ||
| Head coach | Matthias Mink | ||
| League | Regionalliga West | ||
| 2023–24 | 4th | ||
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SC Fortuna Köln is a German football club from the city of Cologne. It's located in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. The club is known for its long history in German football.
Contents
How Fortuna Köln Started
Fortuna Köln was created on 21 February 1948. It was formed when three local football teams decided to join together. These teams were Victoria Köln 1911, Bayenthaler SV 1920, and Sparkassen-Verein Köln 1927.
One of these original clubs, Victoria Köln, had good results before the merger. They even played in the top division called the Gauliga Köln-Aachen in 1941. They won their division title the next year. Another club, Bayenthaler SV 1920, also played one season in the Gauliga in 1943–44. Later, in 1976, another club called FC Alter Markt Köln also joined SC Fortuna Köln.
Fortuna's Journey in Football Leagues
For many years, Fortuna Köln mostly played in Germany's second division. One of their biggest moments was getting promoted to the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league, for the 1974 season.
Amazing Cup Run in 1983
The team had an incredible journey in the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) in 1983. They won against several strong teams. They even beat three first-division teams in a row: Eintracht Braunschweig, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Borussia Dortmund. They crushed Borussia Dortmund with a 5–0 win in the semi-final match.
This amazing run led them to the final against their local rivals, 1. FC Köln. It was the first time the German Cup final was a derby match between two teams from the same city. Even though Fortuna played very well, they lost the final 0–1. The winning goal was scored by Pierre Littbarski.
Close Calls and Challenges
In 1986, Fortuna Köln almost made it back to the Bundesliga. However, they lost to Borussia Dortmund in the promotion play-off. Each team won their home game, which meant a third match was needed. In that deciding game, Fortuna lost badly to Borussia Dortmund with a score of 0–8.
A few years later, at the end of the 1991–92 season, the club almost dropped down to the third division. But they were saved because another team, Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin, lost their license to play.
The Era of Jean Löring
A very important person in Fortuna's history was their president, Jean Löring. He started leading the club in 1967. He was a millionaire and his strong support helped the club stay competitive for a long time.
He even helped in a very unusual way in 1982. During a match against SV Darmstadt 98, the stadium floodlights stopped working. Jean Löring, who was trained as an electrician, personally fixed them so the game could continue! He had also been a football player himself in his younger years.
Jean Löring stopped being president in 2000. After he left, the club faced many difficulties. In 2005, Fortuna Köln had financial problems and had to stop playing in the league.
Fortuna's Comeback and Recent Years
Since 2008, the club has been partly owned by a special online project called deinfussballclub.de. This project allows fans to have a say in the club's decisions.
After their financial troubles, Fortuna Köln started playing in the fifth division. They slowly worked their way back up. In 2014, they won the Regionalliga West league. This win allowed them to play against the second team of Bayern Munich to get promoted. Fortuna won and moved up to the 3. Liga, which is the German third league.
Even when the club faced financial problems, they managed to save their youth department. This department is one of the biggest in Germany, with over 500 young players on 25 different teams. A fundraising campaign, including a special game against 1. FC Köln, helped keep it going.
The former chairman, Klaus Ulonska, was also a famous athlete. He won a medal in the 4 × 100 m Relay at the 1962 European Championships in Athletics.
Club Achievements
League Titles
- Regionalliga West (Fourth Division)
- Winners: 2013–14
- Verbandsliga Mittelrhein (Fifth Division)
- Winners: 2007–08
Cup Achievements
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup)
- Runners-up: 1982–83
- Middle Rhine Cup
- Winners: 2012–13
Current Players
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Fortuna's Performance Each Season
Here's how the club has performed season by season:
| Year | Division | Tier | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–68 | Regionalliga West | II | 16th |
| 1972–73 | Regionalliga West | II | 2nd ↑ |
| 1973–74 | 1. Bundesliga | I | 17th ↓ |
| 1999–2000 | 2. Bundesliga | II | 16th ↓ |
| 2000–01 | Regionalliga Nord | III | 4th |
| 2001–02 | Regionalliga Nord | 18th ↓ | |
| 2002–03 | Oberliga Nordrhein | IV | 10th |
| 2003–04 | Oberliga Nordrhein | 8th | |
| 2004–05 | Oberliga Nordrhein | 18th ↓ | |
| 2005–06 | Verbandsliga Mittelrhein | V | 7th |
| 2006–07 | Verbandsliga Mittelrhein | 9th | |
| 2007–08 | Verbandsliga Mittelrhein | 2nd ↑ | |
| 2008–09 | NRW-Liga | V | 9th |
| 2009–10 | NRW-Liga | 14th | |
| 2010–11 | NRW-Liga | 3rd ↑ | |
| 2011–12 | Regionalliga West | IV | 7th |
| 2012–13 | Regionalliga West | 2nd | |
| 2013–14 | Regionalliga West | 1st ↑ | |
| 2014–15 | 3. Liga | III | 14th |
| 2015–16 | 3. Liga | 11th | |
| 2016–17 | 3. Liga | 16th | |
| 2017–18 | 3. Liga | 8th | |
| 2018–19 | 3. Liga | 19th ↓ | |
| 2019–20 | Regionalliga West | IV | 10th |
| 2020–21 | Regionalliga West | 4th | |
| 2021–22 | Regionalliga West | 5th | |
| 2022–23 | Regionalliga West | 6th | |
| 2023–24 | Regionalliga West | 4th |
- Key
| ↑ Promoted | ↓ Relegated |
Fortuna's Women's Football Team
The women's football section of Fortuna Köln started in 2003. It has grown very quickly since then. The women's team has often won the Middle Rhine Cup. This win allows them to play in the DFB-Pokal Frauen, which is the German Women's Cup.
For the 2024/25 season, the women's team will play in the third-tier Regionalliga West. In the 2023/25 season, the team reached the Eighth-finals of the DFB-Pokal Frauen.
Famous Women Players from Fortuna
- Sara Doorsoun
- Arzu Karabulut
- Isabelle Linden
See also
In Spanish: Fortuna Colonia para niños
