1. FC Köln and adidas revive a shirt design from 1981, complete with a retro badge and a story that connects father and son Cullmann across more than 25 years.
1. FC Köln and adidas have unveiled the new away shirt for the 2026/27 season. It's a tribute to a design that first debuted 45 years ago and has connected generations of players and fans ever since: red jersey, white pinstripes, an embroidered Trefoil on the right chest and the FC retro logo on the left.
„Badge from the past but the jersey got an upgrade," adidas wrote on Instagram when unveiling the shirt. That sums it up well: the look nods to the past, everything else is built for today.
Bernd and Carsten Cullmann: 1. FC Köln shirt design connects father and son
The story behind the design is a family story. When adidas first kitted out the FC in 1981, World and European champion Bernd Cullmann wore the original during the 1981/82 season, a cherished memory for older fans of a time when the club competed at the top of the Bundesliga.
In the mid-2000s, his son Carsten Cullmann wore a reissue of the same design. The shirt was worn for two consecutive seasons and holds a firm place in club history among younger fans as the away shirt of the 2007/2008 promotion season under coach Christoph Daum.
The new away shirt continues that line, with red-and-white trim on the collar and sleeves and white adidas stripes on the shoulders. A retro-style flock with numbers is available on request.
1. FC Köln and adidas launch Originals collection in retro style
Alongside it, the club is launching an Originals collection that also embraces the retro look. It includes the Pre Game Shirt and Pre Game Top, track jacket and pants, a long sleeve, hoodie and T-shirt for leisure wear, plus the adidas Samba sneaker, itself long since a classic.
The away shirt and the Originals collection are available now at select adidas stores, online at adidas, in official fan shops and in 1. FC Köln's online store.
