Overview

• Zieler has signed a two-year contract with 1. FC Köln that runs until summer 2027 and sees him serve as the club’s backup goalkeeper.
• Both clubs declined to disclose a transfer fee, though multiple media outlets report the payment was about €200,000.
• The 36-year-old joins the Bundesliga newcomer after spending the past seasons at Hannover 96, where he amassed 382 appearances to rank sixth in the club’s history.
• A product of Köln’s youth system, Zieler previously returned on loan in 2020–21 and emphasized personal ties to his hometown club.
• As a member of Germany’s 2014 World Cup squad, he conceded just 36 goals last season to lead the 2. Liga in fewest goals allowed.