- The second league season starts with the first match of the season. FC Köln vs HSV.
Relegated Bundesliga side 1. FC Köln and Hamburger SV kick off the season in the 2. Bundesliga. This means that on Friday (8:30 PM/Sky and Sat.1), two teams that are considered promotion candidates will face off right from the start. The RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne is sold out with 50,000 spectators. "I believe we could have sold 100,000 tickets for the game," said Cologne's licensing chief Thomas Kessler.
The match will mark a reunion with Steffen Baumgart. The 52-year-old was Cologne's coach for two and a half years until the end of 2023 and became a fan favorite not only due to his successes. Baumgart has been with HSV since February. His successor in Cologne, Gerhard Struber, will make his debut as the new Cologne coach against HSV.
The RheinEnergieStadion, famously known as Cologne's home ground, will host the eagerly anticipated match between 1. FC Köln and Hamburger SV. Despite expecting to sell double the tickets, the stadium in Cologne is already sold out, accommodating 50,000 spectators.
