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 | ||
| 2024–25 | 6th of 18 | ||
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SC Fortuna Köln is a German football club from the city of Cologne. It is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Contents
Club History: How Fortuna Köln Started
Fortuna Köln was created on February 21, 1948. Three local football teams joined together to form it. These teams were Victoria Köln 1911, Bayenthaler SV 1920, and Sparkassen-Verein Köln 1927.
Victoria Köln 1911 was the most successful of these clubs. It reached the top division, the Gauliga Köln-Aachen, in 1941. The team even won the division title the very next season. Bayenthaler SV 1920 also played in the Gauliga for one season in 1943–44. Later, in 1976, another club called FC Alter Markt Köln joined SC Fortuna Köln.
Fortuna's Journey: Highs and Lows
For many years, Fortuna Köln played in Germany's second football division. One of their biggest achievements was getting promoted to the Bundesliga for the 1974 season. This is Germany's top football league.
The Exciting 1983 Cup Run
Fortuna Köln had an amazing journey in the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) in 1983. They won against several strong teams. They beat SC Freiburg and then won a tough match against SSV Ulm 1846 after a penalty shootout.
Next, they defeated three top-division teams in a row. They won against Eintracht Braunschweig and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Then, they had a huge 5–0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final match.
This incredible run led them to the final against their local rivals, 1. FC Köln. It was the first time the Cup final was a derby between two teams from the same city. Even though Fortuna played very well, they lost 0–1. Pierre Littbarski scored the winning goal late in the game.
Close Calls and Challenges
In 1986, Fortuna Köln almost returned to the Bundesliga. They played against Borussia Dortmund in a special promotion round. Each team won their home game, which meant a third match was needed. Unfortunately, Fortuna lost that deciding game 0–8 to Borussia Dortmund.
A few seasons later, in 1992, the club nearly dropped to the third division. However, they were saved when another team, Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin, lost its license to play. This allowed Fortuna to stay in their league.
Jean Löring: A Special President
One of the most important people in Fortuna's history was their president, Jean Löring. He was a millionaire who started supporting the club in 1967. His financial help allowed the team to stay competitive for a long time.
Jean Löring even helped in a very unusual way in 1982. During a match against SV Darmstadt 98, the stadium floodlights stopped working. Löring, who was trained as an electrician, personally fixed them! This allowed the game to continue. He was a former player himself, having played for Alemannia Aachen. Löring stopped being president in 2000, and the club faced difficulties afterward. In 2005, the club 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 web-based project called deinfussballclub.de. Before 2008, Fortuna played in the fifth division, the Verbandsliga Mittelrhein. They earned promotion to the new Oberliga Nordrhein-Westfalen by finishing second.
Fortuna Köln continued to improve. From the 2011–12 season, they played in the Regionalliga West. In 2014, they won that league! They then beat the second team of Bayern Munich to get promoted to the German third league.
Even when the club faced financial troubles, its youth department stayed strong. It's one of the biggest in Germany, with over 500 young players on 25 different teams. A fundraising effort, including a special game against 1. FC Köln, helped save it.
The former chairman, Klaus Ulonska, was also a famous athlete. He won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 m Relay at the 1962 European Championships in Athletics.
Club Achievements: Fortuna's Trophies
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: Meet the Team
Current squad
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Famous Fortuna Players
- Sara Doorsoun
- Arzu Karabulut
- Isabelle Linden
Recent Seasons: How Fortuna Has Performed
Here's a look at how Fortuna Köln has done in their league each 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 |
Women's Football at Fortuna Köln
Fortuna Köln also has a women's football team. This department started in 2003 and has grown quickly. The women's team has often won the Middle Rhine Cup. This win allowed them to play in the DFB-Pokal Frauen, which is the German Women's Cup.
The women's team usually plays in the third-tier league, the Regionalliga West. In the 2024–25 DFB-Pokal Frauen season, the team made it to the Round of 16.
See also
In Spanish: Fortuna Colonia para niños
