RheinEnergieStadion lease extended

Image: RheinEnergieStadion, CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0

The City of Cologne, Kölner Sportstätten GmbH and 1. FC Cologne have agreed to extend the lease for the RheinEnergieStadion.

Anzeingenblatter said the contract will be extended for another 10 years, until June 30, 2034.

The 50,000-capacity RheinEnergieStadion, formerly Müngersdorfer Stadion, is a German football stadium in Cologne (Germany). It was built on the site of the two previous Müngersdorfer stadiums. It is the home of the local Bundesliga team 1. FC Cologne.

As before, the lease provides for a differentiation if 1. FC Cologne is playing in the 1st or 2nd Bundesliga, with part of the fixed lease to be paid and the operating costs being adjusted annually in accordance with consumer price developments.

The lease also includes provision of a new hospitality area that will be called “Club 78”. This gives both contractual partners an attractive new marketing space.

In addition, parts of the existing office space of Kölner Sportstätten GmbH will be converted into loge areas in the future, which will be marketed by Kölner Sportstätten GmbH during major events outside of match days and by 1. FC Köln on match days.

The contract also includes agreements regarding investment measures to be implemented at short notice and the start-up of stadium tours.

RheinEnergieStadion continues to be one of the top stadiums in Germany.

Mayor Henriette Reker said, “I would like to thank everyone involved who contributed to this good result for FC and the city. It’s good that a viable, future-oriented solution could be found for both sides.”

President Dr. Werner Wolf added, “The agreement is the result of constructive cooperation between the city and the football club on this important issue for the future. It shows what is possible.”

Philipp Türoff, managing director of 1. FC Köln, who was significantly involved in the negotiations, said, “The stadium has considerable economic importance for the football club. In an intensive negotiation process, we succeeded together in negotiating a good, cooperative basis for future use of the stadium and the consistent further development of the stadium experience.”

City Treasurer Prof. Dr. Dörte Diemert added, “The negotiations were intensive, always fair and constructive and we came to a good result that was satisfactory for everyone. Kölner Sportstätten GmbH, the investment management of the city of Cologne and the negotiators of 1. FC Cologne have always conducted the negotiations with an equal eye on the future of the city and the club.”

Managing Director Lutz Wingerath concluded, “We are of course pleased about the continuation of the successful collaboration and, together with the entire team, we will continue to do everything we can to offer our main tenant an attractive home venue.

“As part of the negotiations, we have already discussed upcoming modernizations so that the RheinEnergieStadion remains one of the top stadiums in Germany.”

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