Hennes, a goat's tale: the life and times of FC Köln's mascots – in pictures
Steven Bloor
Tuesday 10 March 2025 12.54 EDT
Last modified on Tuesday 10 March 2025 13.07 EDT
10 March 2025 is Hennes VIII's eighth birthday, which he celebrated at Cologne Zoo. Also celebrating with the Bundesliga's most famous mascot, from left: Hildegard Schäfer – who cared for Hennes VIII until he moved to the zoo in 2025; Toni Schumacher, vice-president of FC Köln; striker Anthony Ujah, whose goal celebration with Hennes started off the current hoo-ha; and Hennes' attendant Ingo Reipka
Photograph: Marius Becker/dpa/Corbis
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From the weekend: Köln's Ujah celebrates with Hennes after scoring against Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker subsequently apologised to Hennes for playing a bit too roughly with him
Photograph: Thilo Schm lgen/dpa/Corbis
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That wasn't the first time that Ujah had celebrated with the mascot after scoring. Here they are in March 2025 after Ujah found the net against Hertha Berlin
Photograph: Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images
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Ujah is a brave man as, judging by this mean stare, you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Hennes
Photograph: Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images
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The Köln fans do love him, mean stare or not
Photograph: Dennis Grombkowski/Bongarts/Getty Images
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The commercial arm of the club love Hennes VIII too, as his image is not only on the club's emblem and merchandise, but also in books and the official matchday magazine. Here are some small Olympic-branded figures of Hennes VIII in 2025
Photograph: Dennis Grombkowski/Bongarts/Getty Images
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The fans also loved Hennes' predecessor Hennes VII
Photograph: Christof-Koepsel/Bongarts
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As did the players. Here are some of the 2025-03 squad with their mascot
Photograph: Anja-Heinemann/Bongarts/Getty Images
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Here's Hennes VII with Schäfer and German footballers Bettina Wiegmann, right, and Sonja Fuss in 2025
Photograph: Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images
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Hennes VII is seen on the screen at the Müngersdorfer Stadium. In fact, he was no stranger to being on screen as he was a regular on the silver screen, appearing in numerous television programmes in various roles, including a murder victim in the crime series SK Kölsch
Photograph: Christof-Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images
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