- FC Köln has been relegated to the 2. Bundesliga after five years in the Bundesliga. This is the seventh relegation in the club’s history, with the last one occurring in 2018. The new 2. Bundesliga season begins on August 2, 2024, at 8:30 PM with the opening match. The first half of the season ends after the 17th matchday on December 22, 2024, followed by the winter break. The second half of the season starts on January 17, 2025, and the final matchday is on May 18, 2025.
The 2. Bundesliga matches are held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On Fridays, there are two matches at 6:30 PM. On Saturdays, there are three matches at 1 PM and a top match at 8:30 PM. On Sundays, there are three matches at 1:30 PM. Exceptions include the opening match on August 2 at 8:30 PM and the final matchday, where all matches are played simultaneously on Sunday at 3:30 PM.
For watching the games, a Sky subscription is sufficient in the 2. Bundesliga, as Sky broadcasts all the matches. The top match on Saturday evening is also shown on free TV on Sport1. The opening match is available for free on Sat.1.
Sixteen out of eighteen teams for the 2024/25 2. Bundesliga season are already confirmed: 1. FC Köln, SV Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, Karlsruher SC, Hannover 96, SC Paderborn, Hertha BSC, Greuther Fürth, SV Elversberg, FC Schalke 04, 1. FC Nürnberg, 1. FC Magdeburg, Eintracht Braunschweig, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, SSV Ulm, and Preußen Münster. The last two spots will be decided in the relegation playoffs between Bochum vs. Düsseldorf and Wiesbaden vs. Regensburg.The schedule for the 2024/25 season is expected to be released on July 5, 2024. 1. FC Köln’s training camp will begin on June 24, 2024, after performance tests from June 21 to June 23. The training camp will be held from July 21 to July 28, 2024, in Bad Waltersdorf, Austria, just five days before the season starts.
