Lukas Kwasniok sues 1. FC Köln as Hamburg Towers win BBL Cup opener

In German sports, several significant developments have occurred across football and basketball.

Former 1. FC Köln head coach Lukas Kwasniok has filed a lawsuit against the club at the Cologne Labor Court. The dispute concerns a contractual clause that allegedly reduced his salary by 50 percent following his dismissal in March 2026. While the club maintains it acted according to the agreement, Kwasniok is seeking the continuation of his full salary, which is approximately €1 million per year. A chamber hearing is scheduled for February 16, 2027.

In basketball, the Veolia Hamburg Towers secured a 90:81 victory against the Rostock Seawolves in the BBL Cup opener. Despite an early 7:0 run by Rostock, Hamburg rallied to advance to the round of 16, where they will face FC Bayern München.

In football, Hansa Rostock suffered a heavy 0:4 defeat against Viktoria Köln. The loss was described by Rostock coach Daniel Brinkmann as a “desolate performance.” The match also included a 30-second protest by both clubs regarding the implementation of the “Kompass-Modell” for regional league promotion.