👀 Leading by example: this Bundesliga club is really struggling right now

It's one of those summers that makes football romantics' eyes light up: 1. FC Köln and Hamburger SV are back in the Bundesliga. Two big traditional clubs, two passionately crazy fan bases, and two million-cities where football is lived and breathed at the same time.

Both clubs start as promoted teams, both are undisputedly a gain for the league, and both have an environment that - we'll put it neutrally - is capable of enthusiasm.

If things go well sports-wise, this enthusiasm turns into a virtually limitless wave of euphoria that can overwhelm many an opponent. If things don't go as well sports-wise, this enthusiasm makes it almost impossible for the clubs to work in peace.

But despite all the mentioned parallels: The mood could hardly be more different a week before the season starts. While in Cologne you almost get the feeling that the FC has secretly activated Champions League mode in preparation, alarm bells are already ringing in Hamburg. At least at first glance.

Cologne: Confidence like a title contender

Because the preparation of the Domstädter reads like a textbook campaign for optimism. Statement wins against Leicester City (3:1) and Atalanta (4:0) make the red and white football hearts on the Rhine beat faster

The squad is Bundesliga-experienced and has been further strengthened by promising newcomers. The promoted team invested a whopping 20 million euros this summer. That's a statement!

Not least, the Müngersdorfer recently presented their most expensive signing since 2019 with Rav van den Berg: The center-back comes from FC Middlesbrough for a proud eight million euros.

The handwriting of the new coach Lukas Kwasniok is already clearly recognizable, and the basic structure around goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe, defense chief Timo Hübers, and sweeper Eric Martel has been in place for several years.

In short: Cologne seems ready for the Bundesliga!

Major construction site Hamburg

And then there's the HSV. The Northerners have been stuck in the 2nd league for seven long and painful years. The logical consequence: With the exception of newcomers Yussuf Poulsen, Jordan Torunarigha, and Nicolai Remberg, you have to search for Bundesliga experience in the Hanseatic squad with a magnifying glass.

At least as fatal is that the said squad still has blatant gaps just two weeks before the end of the transfer period. A center-back and a playmaker are still to come. At least.

In addition, the team needs time to learn the new playing system installed by Merlin Polzin. In the top division, the Hamburgers want to define themselves much more through their work against the ball than they have been in the last seven years. So far, so good. 

📸 Alex Bierens de Haan - 2025 Getty Images

The way the former Bundesliga dinosaur lost all five test games so far provides a reason for concern. The newly formed defense is still wobbly, and offensively, the team is currently lacking almost any ideas. The Polzin team also didn't look good in the first cup round. Against fifth-tier Pirmasens, the HSV only won after extra time (2:1). 

Nevertheless, people remain calm on the Waterkant. The unrest is allegedly only being stirred up from outside the club. The start-up difficulties after the successful promotion, on the other hand, were consciously planned. 

Different paths here

And yet: The fact that there is a certain discrepancy between the goings-on at FC Köln and HSV can be seen alone by looking at the transfer spending. The Rhinelanders have invested 15 million euros more so far.

But how is that possible when you consider that both clubs were only two points apart at the end of the last season?

Well: A look at the TV money table of the Bundesliga clubs answers this question to a large extent. While the HSV starts in 18th place with 31.4 million euros, the FC is in 13th place and receives 42.9 million euros.

This difference can be relatively easily explained by the sporting performance of the recent past. The Hanseatic city was stuck in the 2nd league for seven years, while the West Germans were only in it for two years.

In addition, the people of Cologne were able to sell some players for considerable sums, such as Jonas Urbig, Damion Downs, and Max Finkgräfe, and thus create important scope for their own activities.

Another factor that should not be underestimated: The transfer ban, which prohibited the FC officials from signing new players between December 2023 and January 2025. 

What enormously restricted the club's short-term performance capability at least ensured that the Billy Goats were able to save a decent pile of money during this period. Additionally, few of their own players were sold, which means that not insignificant parts of the Bundesliga squad from 2023/2024 are still on board.

Anticipation vs. skepticism

All of this ensures that the mood in Cologne is currently the way people like it on the Rhine: optimistic, loud, and perhaps a little bit megalomaniacal.

In the north of the republic, on the other hand, there is much more skepticism. Of course, everyone knows how quickly a successful start to the season can bring back optimism. But currently, the focus is much more on the question of how quickly the newly formed squad can get used to the high quality in the Bundesliga.

Same stage, different script

In the end, it's clear: Both clubs start in the same season, with the same number of points, the same opponents, the same chances.

And that's what makes it so exciting: Because football wouldn't be football if everything couldn't turn out completely differently on the first matchday. Maybe the HSV will knock out the Kölner Erzrivalen from Mönchengladbach, maybe the FC will get a slap in the face from the other carnival club from Mainz. The current mood could turn around 180 degrees in no time.

Because that's what both clubs have in common: Positive and negative emotions are just as quickly gone as they came.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Selim Sudheimer - 2025 Getty Images