Farewell to the belligerent spirit: Stefan Müller-Römer stops at 1. FC Köln
Stefan Müller-Römer will leave the stage of 1. FC Köln on Saturday at the general meeting of the long-time chairman of the members’ council. The 53-year-old lawyer is probably the most contentious spirit in the club. The man who was involved in the FC statutes and in setting up the current committee structure.
After Wolfgang Overath resigned in 2011 and Werner Spinner was elected President in April 2012, Stefan Müller-Römer and some of his fellow campaigners from the “FC Reloaded” initiative started with the vision of making FC permanently successful. “There was a lot of trouble back then, such as the statutes. There was no reasonable supervisory body for the board of directors. The aim was to create independent bodies. That created a lot of fuss and theater, ”remembers Müller-Römer.
After the member council voted for war in 2013, there was always anger because the member council wanted to find out about the relevant events. “The statutes clearly stated that the members’ council had a supervisory function. But in practice neither the board nor the management wanted to accept that. That’s why it then crunched “, describes Müller-Römer and explains:” The committee, which is the only control body in the member-run club, wanted to take it seriously. “
Looking back, there was a lot of disillusionment: “The members’ council couldn’t and can’t prevent anything. In the joint committee, the information about important decisions, as with all adventurous player contracts, arrived far too late. The negotiations had long been conducted. The managing directors Schmadtke, Veh and Heldt made it clear that it would not be changed anyway, ”said Müller-Römer.
The “greatest of all FC fairy tales”
In his opinion, this is how the “greatest of all FC fairy tales” came about – the fairy tale of the mighty member council. “As representatives in the GA, Carsten Wettich and I had no way of stopping decisions, although we criticized them and voted against them often enough. The votes were always 5: 2 against us. Many of the wrong decisions would not have happened if we had actually been powerful. So we were just the eternal troublemakers. ”In the GA, ie Müller-Römer, only that was given the nod, the manager wanted. “It is part of the self-image of sports directors like Jörg Schmadtke, Armin Veh or Horst Heldt to do everything on their own, because in your eyes non-footballers have no idea anyway, although we as lawyers can better design and evaluate contractual clauses.”
Nothing changed in these conditions when Müller-Römer briefly moved up to the FC board in 2019. On the contrary – the fronts hardened. Veh’s saying will remain unforgettable when he called the member councils “full amateurs”. “And the Cologne managing directors not only cashed in princely for their failures, they also took some adventurous severance payments with them in the end. There are clear reasons why clubs like Freiburg, Mainz or, most recently, Union Berlin have now easily overtaken FC, ”says Müller-Römer.
From Müller-Römer’s point of view, the only halfway sharp sword in the hand of the members’ council is the right to propose to the board. “Although this is also limited because it cannot be freely practiced, especially if it is successful. Like after the Euro qualification, when the then executive board expected to be nominated again, although internally it was clear that for certain reasons it would not go well for another three years. “
Everything in the old routine
The current board of directors around President Werner Wolf was freely selected by the membership council and proposed for election in 2019. “We have achieved a lot and a few things have changed, but overall, when I look at the last ten years, things are going far too slowly for me,” criticizes Müller-Römer, whose long-time companion Wettich is now Vice President. “Before the 2019 election there were promises that, in my opinion, have not been kept. We wanted to work together more intensively and, above all, finally achieve a different level of professionalism in the club. Instead, everything went on in the old rut. “
“For me, professionalism means being prepared for short-term events, such as the farewell of the managing director. You have to have a list of names and functions beforehand. Structures must be designed independently of people, otherwise unhealthy dependencies arise. When it comes to its next proposal from the board of directors, the members’ council should think about how it can ensure that promises are kept. “
Stefan Müller-Römer knows that he polarizes hat. “I am easily attacked because I speak things clearly.” As in an email to a member who went public and turned into an affair. “I did not expect an elderly lady to forward a confidential email to a newspaper.”
Many expect that Müller-Römer’s farewell will not last when he reappears on the FC stage in a new role. “At the moment I would rule that out. FC is still the club of my heart and always will be. The decision not to run again is currently the right one for me. It’s good to take a step back. Distance helps to get a sober view of facts. In addition, I can then watch football more relaxed and the Baumgart-Elf is really fun right now. “