Overview
- 1. FC Köln, which announced the news Tuesday, said Ripkens died on May 8 in Cologne at the age of 88.
- He played in the club’s golden era, helping win German championships in 1962 and 1964 and four West German titles from 1960 to 1963.
- Ripkens said he was first noticed at the club’s Geißbockheim base when player Hennes Pfeiffer urged coach Hennes Weisweiler to give him a trial.
- Reports list 101 appearances for Köln with 27 goals, though some accounts cite lower tallies, and the club noted frequent injuries limited his outings.
- After leaving Köln he played for Standard Liège, Bayer Leverkusen, Viktoria Köln and Fortuna Köln, and later helped start the club’s traditions team.