It started as a big party on the Cote d'Azur, then a dark shadow followed due to terrible riots in the stadium and in the end 1. FC Köln missed the deserved victory at the start of the Conference League with an unlucky penalty.

1. FC Köln's first group game in the European Cup in almost five years turned into an emotional rollercoaster ride.

In the end, the team of coach Steffen Baumgart, who was locked in the stands, had to settle for a 1-1 (1-0) draw at OGC Nice, despite a strong performance for a long time.

But the impressions of the serious riots before the first conference league group game weighed more heavily than the frustration at the missed victory.

In the meantime, the staging was on the brink, in the end it was kicked off 55 minutes late at 7.40 p.m.

In the event of another incident, the game will be canceled immediately, UEFA said.

But this one didn't happen.

“There were definitely very, very few”

"It really gets on my nerves," said Christian Keller, the managing director of 1. FC Köln, after the final whistle.

The impression of the pictures of the riots overshadowed everything shortly before midnight on the Cote d'Azur.

Keller made it clear that the club would try "with all severity and determination" to identify those involved in the riots.

"I don't know if that was 50, 60 or 70.

It was definitely very, very few," he said.

“But we will try everything to pull out as many as possible.

And then we rule them out, they won't do anything anymore." The consequences for the club are "not yet foreseeable.

I don't want to speculate either.

There is certainly a wide range.”

According to the Nice Police Prefecture, 32 people were injured, including one seriously.

More than 650 police officers and 600 security guards were deployed.

The prefecture condemned "the unacceptable behavior of a few dozen drunk ultras".

The identification of the perpetrators is in progress.

FC President Werner Wolf said: "We strongly condemn the abominable events that took place on both sides in the run-up to yesterday's game in Nice." have lost their effectiveness and value.

Those responsible for FC had kept the pictures of the events away from their professionals.

The news that leaked out was distressing enough.

And then the team swore before the 55-minute delayed kick-off.

"We said to the team: Think of the peaceful 7,900 boys and try to hide everything from them as much as possible," said co-coach André Pawlak, who stood in for his boss Steffen Baumgart, who was locked in the stands, on the sidelines.

"You're almost at a loss for words"

Steffen Tigges, who came from Dortmund in the summer, put Cologne in the lead at the break with his first competitive goal (19th minute) against the team of long-time Bundesliga coach Lucien Favre.

Nice equalized with a hand penalty from Andy Delort (62').

Timo Hübers got the ball against his arm from a free kick in the wall.