Lukas Podolski joined his beloved Cologne fans in the south curve for the Rhine derby, but a good news story may turn sour.
The club legend and city’s most famous son was in attendance for the 1-1 draw with Fortuna Dusseldorf at the RheinEnergieSTADION and was beaming alongside the club’s most hardcore fans.
The 39-year-old former Arsenal and Inter forward was already taking a risk by going, as it was reported that 300 away fans were banned over a threat of violence.
Yet it was the hosts who caused the most drama with a provocative banner.
A pre-match tifo held over Podolski saw a joker-type figure holding a knife to the neck of Fortuna, the goddess of luck, and a message read: “Luck is not a gift from the gods.”
It was put to Cologne’s sporting director Christian Keller that the club could risk punishment for the tifo, but he surprised by saying executives approved it.
“You can argue about the motive, for me it’s simply the rivalry between two active fan scenes,” he said.
“That’s normal in this culture. Whether the average consumer likes it is something else.
“We decided we could live with it, although it’s not something pleasant.”
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