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Cologne Council Blocks Wiese Conservation Motion, FC Köln Pledges Legal Fight

Hundreds of supporters demonstrated outside city hall, with the club gearing up to appeal before a Münster court ruling by year-end.

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Overview

  • The city council voted down a proposal by the Ratsgruppe "Gut & Klima Freunde" to lease the Gleueler Wiese to the BUND for 30 years, halting a bid to protect the site from development.
  • Several hundred 1. FC Köln fans rallied at the Kölner Rathaus on July 3 after the club called on supporters to oppose the conservation motion.
  • Managing director Philipp Türoff condemned the late-filed proposal as “tactical foul play,” and president Werner Wolf said the club has lost faith in city politicians and will exhaust all legal options.
  • 1. FC Köln now awaits a decision from the Oberverwaltungsgericht Münster, expected by the end of the year, to confirm the validity of its expansion plans.
  • A Bundesverwaltungsgericht ruling from April 2024 upheld the development plan for Geißbockheim, where the club has sought to expand its training facilities for over a decade.