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Cologne have sealed their return to the Bundesliga just one year after relegation, clinching the second division title with a commanding 4-0 victory against Kaiserslautern on Sunday.
Goals from Eric Martel, Luca Waldschmidt, Florian Kainz, and Mark Uth powered Cologne to the win that confirmed their promotion and secured first place in the Bundesliga. Not even a missed second-half penalty from Waldschmidt could dampen the celebratory atmosphere at the RheinEnergieStadion.
Their promotion comes just a week after Hamburg secured a return to the top flight following a seven-year absence.
Hamburg’s 3-2 defeat at Greuther Fürth on Sunday saw them slip to second in the table, leaving Cologne to overtake them and claim the championship.
Elsewhere, Elversberg clinched third place with a 2-1 away win at Schalke and will now face Heidenheim, who finished third from bottom in the Bundesliga, in a two-legged play-off to determine who will play in the top division next season.
Meanwhile, Holstein Kiel and Bochum had already been relegated to the second tier following results last weekend.
The promotion marks a remarkable turnaround for Cologne after a chaotic few weeks that saw the sacking of head coach Gerhard Struber and sporting director Christian Keller in early May.
With the club’s promotion hopes hanging by a thread, experienced manager Friedhelm Funkel was brought back for a third stint in charge — and it proved an inspired decision.
Known for his promotion pedigree, the 71-year-old Funkel has now guided seven different teams to the Bundesliga, adding yet another achievement to his long managerial career.
Cologne’s return to the top flight will come as a welcome boost following a challenging season, made even more painful by watching local rivals Bayer Leverkusen celebrate their first-ever Bundesliga title.
A founding member of the Bundesliga in 1963, Cologne were first relegated in 1998 and have since become known as a yo-yo club. This latest promotion marks their seventh return to the top division since that initial drop.
The club, formed from a merger in 1948, have won three German championships, the last of which came in the 1977–78 season.
