Bundesliga is back: Cologne make tifo in stands from fans' shirts and scarves
Cologne created a display from shirts provided by fans for their Bundesliga home game against Mainz on Sunday.
Germany's top flight this weekend returned from a two-month suspension caused by the coronavirus pandemic, though all remaining fixtures will be played behind closed doors.
Cologne asked supporters if they wanted any memorabilia placed in the stands to ensure they still had some kind of presence in the RheinEnergieStadion.
The club then used the shirts, scarves and stuffed replicas of goat mascot Hennes to create a brilliant show - known as a tifo - out of the empty seats.
We asked #effzeh fans if they wanted to hand over their lucky scarf or kit to be placed in the stadium for the upcoming games.
— 1. FC Cologne (@fckoeln_en) May 17, 2020
It’s not the same as you being there and it never will be, but thank you pic.twitter.com/oRbXOKSerp
Alongside a trio of photographs of the end product, Cologne tweeted: "We asked #effzeh fans if they wanted to hand over their lucky scarf or kit to be placed in the stadium for the upcoming games.
"It's not the same as you being there and it never will be, but thank you."
Borussia Monchengladbach have also attempted to cover empty seats at their stadium by sticking photos of fans onto cardboard cut-outs.
Marco #Rose: "I think the cut-out campaign is brilliant. It gives BORUSSIA-PARK a little bit of life. It obviously doesn't replace real fans, but it's still nice to see them."#GladToBeBach #SGEBMG pic.twitter.com/BTrHkvlHyh
— Gladbach (@borussia_en) May 14, 2020