FC Köln set to reap the benefits of Borussia Dortmund winning the Bundesliga
FC Köln will celebrate every Borussia Dortmund goal in their stadium when they play Bayern Munich on Saturday, and are also set for a monetary boost should Dortmund with the league.
The final match day of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season is set for one of the most exciting finishes in recent history this weekend, with Borussia Dortmund one win away from clinching their first Bundesliga title in 11 years. The focus will predominantly be on their game with Mainz, which they will host at the Westfalenstadion.
The focus on their game with Mainz will also spill over into the other fixture of interest that evening – Bayern Munich’s clash with FC Köln. According to SportBild, Köln plan to announce each one of Dortmund’s goals against Mainz in the stadium so that fans can celebrate their occurrence as the two club’s fan bases have a long-standing friendship that Köln seemingly want to remind Bayern of.
Aside from the focus on Dortmund, the story of the final match day of this particular season will also be of great importance for Köln themselves. Club captain and legend Jonas Hector will be hanging up his boots upon this season’s conclusion. The German international was considered one of the best left backs in the world for some time while at Köln, and despite the club getting relegated in 2018 he refused the advances of higher paying teams to stay and help his boyhood club make their way back into the Bundesliga. It would be reason enough for them to show up against Bayern to give their captain the send-off he deserves.
Pivoting back to the Dortmund game, Köln also have a vested interest in Dortmund’s victory from a financial standpoint. Should Dortmund clinch the title against Mainz, it will activate a clause on Anthony Modeste’s contract that will mean Dortmund will have to pay Köln a six figure “championship bonus“.
Next. Hans-Joachim Watzke on his lucky sweater: I will wear it on Saturday no matter how warm it is. dark
With so much mutual interest in Dortmund finishing strong, one will expect that Köln will put up a strong fight against Bayern. That being said, they have more than enough incentive even without these factors to push for a good result against the Bavarians. Sending off Hector in style would be a wonderful way of saying “thank you for your service” to one of the club’s most talented and loyal players.