German football mourns Georg Koch. The former Bundesliga goalkeeper has died at the age of 54. This was confirmed by several colleagues and clubs on Wednesday. Koch had been seriously ill for some time; in May 2024, he had publicly announced his diagnosis of incurable pancreatic cancer.
During his career, Koch played a total of 213 games in the Bundesliga and 165 matches in the 2. Bundesliga. He became particularly known for his time at Fortuna Düsseldorf, MSV Duisburg, and Arminia Bielefeld. Furthermore, he played for clubs such as 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Energie Cottbus, and SK Rapid Wien. His career also included international stints like PSV Eindhoven and Dinamo Zagreb.
After his active career ended in 2009, he remained involved in football in various roles, including as a goalkeeper coach and sporting director. Most recently, he worked for the third-division club Viktoria Köln before withdrawing for health reasons. In the autumn of 2024, he was honored by fans and former colleagues during a farewell match in Düsseldorf.
