SAMSTAG 15:30

Founded: Feb 21, 1948
Club Members: 1,200
Coach: Matthias Mink
Captain: André Weis

Regionalliga West: 1
Landespokal Mittelrhein Winner: 1

Website: www.fortuna-koeln.de

Formed through the merger of three local clubs (Victoria Köln 1911, Bayenthaler SV 1920 and Sparkassen-Verein Köln 1927) in 1948, SC Fortuna Köln spent their formative period as a largely uncompetitive side in regional championships and it wasn't until former footballer-turned-millionaire benefactor Hans 'Jean' Löring became president in 1966 that the club's fortunes started to turn around. His spending brought immediate results with promotion to the fourth-tier Regionalliga West secured in 1967 and, as the heavy investment continued over the next few years, Fortuna reached their high-water mark in 1973 with promotion to the Bundesliga.

Their stay in the top-flight was a brief one however and after only a season rubbing shoulders with German football's elite, the men from the cathedral city were back in the second-tier where they spent most of the next three decades. In 1983, Fortuna made their first (and so far only) appearance in the DFB-Pokal final - knocking out Bundesliga opposition in the form of Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund on an impressive run which saw them take on city rivals 1.FC Köln in the decider. Despite having to play the match in 1.FC Köln's own Müngersdorfer Stadion (this was in the days before the Olympiastadion in Berlin became the official final venue) and outplaying their opponents, Fortuna weren't quite in step with their lucky 'DNA' that day and a 68th-minute Pierre Littbarski goal won the cup for 'Effzeh '. Fortuna also came close to making a return to the Bundesliga in 1986 but a disastrous 0-8 defeat in the promotion/relegation play-off against Borussia Dortmund put paid to those aspirations.

By now however dark clouds were gathering and in 1992 only a decision by the DFB (German FA) to deny Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin a playing licence saved Fortuna from relegation to the third-tier. Much of Fortuna's ability to punch well above their weight for so long had come from the deep pockets of Jean Löring (a trained electrician, he personally fixed a floodlight failure during a match against SV Darmstadt 98 in 1982 !) and it's estimated that he bankrolled the club to the tune of DM 30-40 million which led to his own insolvency. Löring felt ashamed about having to declare personal bankruptcy and he left the club in 2000. Without his financial support or a large enough fanbase to sustain the club, Fortuna began a slide down the leagues against a backdrop of increasing financial problems before insolvency in 2005 meant that 'Löring's' SC Fortuna Köln were no more. 

Reborn in 2008 as a fan-owned club, Fortuna began life again in the fifth-tier Verbandsliga Mittelrhein and despite insolvency had managed to salvage the old club's youth department, one of the largest in Germany with over 500 players in 25 teams, through a fundraising campaign organised by the former chairman Egbert Bischoff that included a benefit game against 1. FC Köln. With an emphasis now on youth development, the club began a climb back up the pyramid and in 2014 returned to professional football with promotion to the 3.Liga following a dramatic away goals win over Bayern München II in a play-off. After four seasons in the third tier however, Fortuna were relegated back to the Regionalliga West where they ply their trade today.