Cologne (SID) – The financially troubled Bundesliga soccer team 1. FC Cologne is getting help from the city. The traditional club can look forward to a reduction in the lease for the RheinEnergie Stadium. The decision applies retrospectively from the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and also for the coming season, as long as viewers are excluded.
“This takes into account the fact that the games had to take place without an audience during this time,” said the mayor of Cologne, Henriette Reker, on Wednesday. The lease will be reduced by 50 percent for the two years and the flat rate for operating costs by 15 percent.
“We are very grateful to the city of Cologne, especially city treasurer Prof. Dr. Dörte Diemert. It was an enormous achievement to hold the talks in a trusting manner. The negotiations were tough? Nevertheless, we were able to find a very fair solution, which means planning security for us, “said FC President Werner Wolf.
The regular rent for the stadium in the Bundesliga is EUR 7.895 million per year. In addition, there is a flat-rate operating cost of 1.525 million euros net (2019/20 season) or 1.575 million euros (2020/21).
The lease reduction will apply for the coming season as long as the pandemic-related viewer restrictions persist. In the event of a partial opening for spectators, a gradual increase in the rent is planned. The committees of the city of Cologne and the Kölner Sportstätten GmbH still have to approve the agreement.
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