FC President Werner Spinner was invited as the special guest to represent the sporting side of a delegation from Cologne that traveled to Indianapolis to promote the partnership between the two sister-cities. The delegation included various members of the Freundeskreis Köln-Indianapolis e.V. (Friendship Committee Cologne-Indianapolis) as well as Ralf Radke of the Gesamtschule Nippes and former Vice-Mayor of Cologne, Angela Spizig. The overall aim of the delegation was to stimulate engagement between the two cities on matters of education, culture, and sport.

Proceedings began on the first morning with a presentation by President Spinner during the “Welcome Breakfast” of the Cologne Delegation. The event was hosted by the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and the Indianapolis-Cologne Sister-City Committee. CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, Michael Huber, and Chair of the Sister-City Committee, Martin Baier, are also the two founding members of the new 1. FC Köln fan club in Indianapolis, Cologne FC-Indy. “I was interested in forming a fan club because of my connection to Cologne and my attachment to FC. The aim is to gather at least 100 club members by the end of the year. We are all thrilled that President Werner Spinner made a personal trip to visit us and recognize the founding of our fan club,” said Baier.



Cologne FC-Indy Founders Martin Baier and Michael Huber.

Included in the schedule over the course of five days were also appearances in media outlets and visits to universities. First, President Spinner made a trip down to Butler University to speak with the Men’s Soccer team, which plays in the Division I of college soccer. The FC President presented on various aspects of European football, from the state of 1. FC Köln to how the league and club is run from an operational standpoint. “It was a great experience for our players. The President’s insight on the business side was definitely helpful, especially for the business majors on our team,” said assistant coach Fabian Knopfler. On the next day President Spinner took the time to give a lecture at the University of Indianapolis in front of a class of students from the Sports Management program.

Media appearances were also an integral part of the trip. The President met with John Katzenberger, who is a prominent freelance journalist and writes among other things for the Indianapolis Star, which is one of the biggest newspapers in the city. Topics of discussion were not just about football, but also about politics in Germany and the situation with the refugees. A more sports-oriented interview took place when the President appeared on ESPN The Fan 1070, hosted by Greg Rakestraw. It is the most popular sports radio show in the city of Indianapolis and Rakestraw was happy to have the President as a guest: “It was great that Werner Spinner and 1. FC Köln took the opportunity to come to Indianapolis. Indy welcomes visitors from all across the globe, and as a growing and diverse community, there’s much we can learn from Cologne and its favorite football team.”