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Welcome back Cologne! All you need to know on the Billy Goats following their promotion to the Bundesliga

Welcome back Cologne! After the Billy Goats have earned promotion back to the Bundesliga at the first attempt, bundesliga.com gives you the lowdown on one of Germany's largest footballing institutions.

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The story of 2024/25

Cologne’s five-year stay in the Bundesliga ended with a 17th-place finish and just 27 points in 2023/24, and that poor form continued into the start of this campaign. After 10 matches, they found themselves 12th in the table, having tasted victory just three times.

A 1-0 win over Hertha Berlin in the capital, though, proved to be a turning point, as a subsequent run of 28 points from a possible 33 fired them into the table’s top two.

From Matchday 17 to the end of the season, they finished a round of matches outside the top three on just one occasion, and while a few disappointing results delayed their promotion party, they finally got the job done against Kaiserslautern on Matchday 34.

Watch: Hertha Berlin 0-1 Cologne - highlights

Linton Maina has impressed for Cologne this season. (IMAGO/Revierfoto)

Key player: Linton Maina

While the defence has played a crucial role in Cologne’s return to the elite, goals win games, and Maina has had a knack for creating them. Only two players have managed more than his 10 Bundesliga 2 assists, while he has also chipped in with three goals himself.

He may have picked up even more had an ankle injury not kept him out of seven games towards the end of the campaign. If Cologne are to compete in the top flight next term, they will need the 25-year-old at his dangerous best.

Friedhelm Funkel steered Cologne to victories in their last two games of the season. (DFL/Getty Images/Sebastian Widmann)

Coach: Friedhelm Funkel

Despite being in the promotion mix going into the season finale, Cologne's board decided to part company with head coach Gerhard Struber in early May, replacing him with veteran tactician Funkel for the team's final two games of the campaign.

Two wins from two and promotion as Bundesliga 2 champions would appear to justify the decision. It remains to be seen whether Funkel will stay in charge for 2025/26, though.

History

Formed in 1948, Cologne are, historically, one of Germany’s biggest and most traditional clubs. They were the Bundesliga’s first champions, winning the inaugural edition in 1963/64 – one of three national championships they have to their name. They are also four-time DFB Cup winners, although their last came in 1982/83. This century, they have bounced between the top two divisions, suffering six relegations from the Bundesliga.

Stadium

The Billy Goats play their football at the RheinEnergieSTADION, which was built on the site of the former Müngersdorfer Stadion. It holds a capacity of 49,698, making it the 12th biggest stadium in Germany.

It hosted several games at both the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024, while some of the world’s most prominent music artists have played concerts at the ground down the years.

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