The 2000-01 campaign delivered a respectable and stable return to the top flight for 1. FC Köln as Die Geißböcke secured a mid-table 10th-place finish in the Bundesliga following their promotion. Leading the charge was the dependable captain and set-piece specialist Dirk Lottner, whose 11 goals proved crucial in consolidating their top-tier status. It was a solid year of re-establishment in the Bundesliga and remains a vital chapter of stabilization before the club's subsequent period as a 'yo-yo' team.