Cologne’s 1. FC Köln is advising supporters against traveling to Stuttgart by train for Saturday’s Bundesliga match against VfB Stuttgart, citing significant disruptions to rail service due to ongoing track renovations.
The club’s fan services department issued the warning on Tuesday, stating that a reasonable return journey to Cologne will be impossible following the 6:30 PM local time kickoff. The last train scheduled to arrive in Cologne in under two and a half hours departs at 8:49 PM, making it unreachable for fans attending the match.
Deutsche Bahn’s extensive track perform between Cologne and southern Germany has led to reduced service and significantly longer travel times. Trains departing after 9:00 PM require more than five hours to reach Cologne, according to the club’s advisory.
The warning comes as 1. FC Köln has taken steps to shield its players from the city’s Carnival celebrations ahead of the match. FC-Boss Thomas Kessler has effectively barred the team from participating in Carnival festivities, a measure taken after previous years saw players celebrating despite internal agreements, leading to injuries and poor performance. The team will depart for Frankfurt on Weiberdonnerstag (Thursday) and train at the DFB-Campus before continuing to Stuttgart.
This year’s preventative measures follow a particularly disruptive Carnival period in 2023, where Steffen Baumgart, then the club’s coach, acknowledged the negative impact of the celebrations on team performance. Last year, three players celebrated despite a team agreement, and four players reported sick during the Carnival period.
Meanwhile, contract extension talks with defender Timo Hübers are progressing positively, despite a season-ending knee injury sustained in October. Hübers indicated on Sunday that both parties recognize their mutual value, and discussions are being finalized now that the transfer window is closed. He aims to focus on his rehabilitation process with a renewed contract in place.
Prior to Sunday’s 2-1 loss to RB Leipzig, 1. FC Köln was dealing with injuries to Linton Maina and Alessio Castro-Montes. The situation has worsened with Ragnar Ache being forced off the pitch in the closing minutes of the match with an apparent leg injury, leaving his availability for the Stuttgart game uncertain.