Bundesliga season preview: 1. FC Köln
With not long until the 2016/17 Bundesliga season gets under way, it is high time to put each club's upcoming campaign under the microscope. bundesliga.com's previews will provide you with all you need to know ahead of the big kick-off on 26 August…
Big question
Next up are 1. FC Köln…
Köln fans were over the moon at finishing ninth last season, the club's first single-digit placing in the top flight since 1992. The main question, then, is whether they can maintain the improvement of the last few years into the new campaign.
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New faces
Coach
Key man
Key dates
The Billy Goats begin the season on home turf against Darmstadt. Stöger's side face promoted duo RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg in the two home games after that, but the first three away games take them to Wolfsburg, Schalke and FC Bayern München.
Köln travel to Borussia Mönchengladbach for the Rhine derby on Matchday 11, with other local rivals Bayer 04 Leverkusen visiting on Matchday 16.
Click here to see Köln's full schedule
Home ground
A 50,000-seater stadium, the RheinEnergieSTADION hosted five games at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and is located in the west of the city.
Watch: get to know the RheinEnergieSTADION in the exclusive video tour below