Kevin Pezzoni quits Cologne after fans threaten beating outside his home

Cologne granted the 23-year-old's request to cancel his contract on Friday after he had been confronted outside his flat by a group of angry fans, who threatened to beat him up.

"A group of people were waiting for him in front of his apartment. They abused him and it is a situation which has been building up for a long time," said Coach Holger Stanislawski, explaining that the contract had been cancelled solely to protect the player.

Club officials said they had discussed all options with the midfielder, who had already been attacked in February, when his nose was broken.

They say he rejected suggestions to stay and rally a show of support, revealing that he had also been insulted on Facebook and had found abusive notes stuck on his car.

The situation had deteriorated over the last two weeks, with Cologne supporters blaming Pezzoni for the poor performance of the team, which had been relegated to the second division at the end of the last season.