Former Bundesliga goalkeeper Georg Koch has died at the age of 54 from pancreatic cancer. The ex-pro from Fortuna Düsseldorf is mourned by his club, which takes its leave. The diagnosis was made in 2023 during a routine check.
Georg Koch, a well-known goalkeeper in the German Bundesliga, died on [date not specified] at the age of 54. He succumbed to his cancer, diagnosed as pancreatic cancer. A spokesperson for Fortuna Düsseldorf confirmed the death to dpa, citing the family.
Fortuna Düsseldorf, the club for which Koch played the most games, expressed deep sorrow. "The Fortuna takes leave of Georg Koch in great mourning and will always preserve an honorable memory of him. The sympathy and compassion of all Fortuna fans go to his family, his friends, and all who knew and appreciated Georg Koch," stated the club. Koch played 118 games for Düsseldorf, more than for any other club.
Other clubs are also mourning. MSV Duisburg and 1. FC Kaiserslautern expressed their regret on social media for their former goalkeeper.
In his career, Koch played 213 matches in the Bundesliga and 165 in the 2. Bundesliga. After his breakthrough at Fortuna Düsseldorf, he played among others for PSV Eindhoven, Arminia Bielefeld, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, MSV Duisburg, and Energie Cottbus. Most recently, he worked as a goalkeeper coach for third-division Viktoria Köln in the 2022/23 season.
The cancer was discovered in 2023 during a routine examination. Koch made the diagnosis public a year later. "The whole mess during a routine check. I wasn't feeling well before, and my blood values were noticeably bad," he told "Bild am Sonntag" at the time.
The news triggers mourning in the football community, where Koch was appreciated as a dedicated professional.
