The 1st FC Cologne loses a lot of identification in the summer. Because two players who played in Cologne for ages will no longer be there.
Jonas Hector will end his career in the summer. He has played for 1. FC Köln since 2010. But the current captain of the Geißböcke is not the only veteran to leave the club.
Timo Horn will also be leaving FC in the summer. He was at the club even longer than Hector. In 2002, he moved from SC Rondorf to Cologne. Now his contract runs out.
The keeper, who has been with the club for 21 years, wants to be number one again and has therefore decided to seek a new challenge. Horn lost his place to Marvin Schwäbe. Now he wants to attack woabders again.
Horn: “To leave the FC, everyone can imagine, is incredibly difficult for me. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a fan of this club, ever since I’ve been playing soccer, I’ve been with FC, and since my professional debut in 2012, I’ve actually always been in goal here. That changed after my injury last season. Competition is part of soccer, and the role as number two was new to me – but I still put in the work, accepted the situation and reached Europe with FC for the second time in my career. To have been part of that team and to have achieved that made me immensely proud. But my ambition is to stand between the posts week after week and be the back-up for a team as a goalkeeper. That’s why I’ve decided to take on a new challenge starting in the summer. “
Only Toni Schumacher and Bodo Illgner have been in goal for FC more often than Timo
Christian Keller
A decision that FC managing director Christian Keller understands: “329 competitive games for FC speak for themselves. Only Toni Schumacher and Bodo Illgner have been in goal for FC more often than Timo. To hold your own as number one for so many years is an achievement you have to work hard for. But there’s more to it than that: Timo has developed over time from a young talented goalkeeper into a seasoned Bundesliga player who has always been important to the FC team on the pitch and in the dressing room, but also from the bench or stands. He deserves a great deal of thanks for that. The fact that he has the ambition to play is understandable for us.”
With 329 competitive games, Horn ranks 18th among all FC players since 1948. The undisputed record holder of all players who have played at least one competitive game as a professional for 1. FC Köln is Horn, with a total of 21 years at the club. This puts him well ahead of record players Wolfgang Overath and Toni Schumacher (both 15 years with FC).