Thijs Dallinga

Wagner Fires Back at Köln Boo-Boys as Schalke Stalemate Extends Scoring Drought

Cologne manager René Wagner defended his team after sections of the RheineEnergieStadion crowd whistled and called for his exit following a 0-0 home draw with Schalke. The result gave Köln their first clean sheet of the season but a second successive game without a goal, with strikers Ragnar Ache, Thijs Dallinga and Imad Rondić all sidelined by injury.

Bundesliga and Topps launch one-of-one 'Starting XI Debut Patch' for 2026/27 season

The Bundesliga and official licensing partner Topps have launched the Starting XI Debut Patch, a special jersey badge awarded to every player making their first Bundesliga start. Worn only for that single match, the game-worn patch is later embedded into a hand-signed, one-of-one trading card. The Bundesliga becomes the first major European league to implement the concept, debuting in the season opener between Bayern Munich and Stuttgart.

Cologne defend back-five experiment but collapse after halftime in 1-0 defeat at Frankfurt

Cologne head coach René Wagner defended his surprise back-five formation after a 1-0 Bundesliga defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt, but admitted his side were 'stuck too deep' after halftime. Younes Ebnoutalib scored the winner in the 77th minute, and players including Said El Mala and Marvin Schwäbe voiced frustration.

New Gladbach coach Alexander Blessin starts his reign with a 2-1 derby defeat at Köln, where Saïd El Mala's winner sealed a bottom-of-the-table start for the club. Elsewhere, Freiburg top the table, Dortmund drop points to Werder Bremen, Bayern come back at Augsburg and Leipzig thrash Frankfurt 6-0.

Borussia Mönchengladbach remain bottom of the Bundesliga without a point after losing 2-1 to derby rivals Köln in Alexander Blessin's first match in charge. Saïd El Mala's trademark winner settled the game, while Gladbach's injury problems and Köln's own absentee list added to the small print behind the scoreline.