Köln U19s on the ropes in national final

1. FC Köln's A-Junioren saw their grip on the Deutsche Meisterschaft loosen in the final away at Hoffenheim, where the hosts took a deserved lead and then extended it. Defending a national title is always a tall order, and Hoffenheim made it count when it mattered most (1). The scoreline remains unavailable as of this writing, but the direction of the match tells its own story: Köln were second-best on the day. For a club that prides itself on youth development, losing a national final cuts deep, though reaching this stage again says something about the pipeline.