Bundesliga
Baumgart is no longer a coach at 1. FC Köln
Steffen Baumgart is no longer the coach of 1. FC Köln. photo
© Andreas Gora/dpa
His flat cap was a bestseller in Cologne for a long time. But after a downward slide, the FC and football teacher Steffen Baumgart part ways. And there is another hard blow from Lausanne.
For a long time he was celebrated as a cult coach, but was unable to bring lasting peace to the club. The era Steffen Baumgart at 1. FC Köln is finished.
The football teacher, who is popular with fans despite the ongoing sporting decline, and the club agreed to an early end to the collaboration, which was actually dated until summer 2025. After a sustained sporting decline with only two wins in 16 games and the fall to the penultimate place in the table, the belief in a jointly initiated turnaround was apparently exhausted. Baumgart’s commitment officially ends at the end of the year.
“Everyone can imagine that the decision to leave FC was not easy for me. The club has become my home over the last two and a half years,” Baumgart commented on his departure. “What we have achieved together here makes me proud. At the same time, that is also the reason why I now had the feeling that a change was needed. FC stands above everything.”
Cas confirms transfer ban against FC
The Cologne team was dealt another hard blow by Lausanne: The International Court of Arbitration for Sports (Cas) has confirmed the transfer ban of two transfer periods for 1. FC Cologne imposed by the World Football Association FIFA in the Potocnik case. In addition, the judges increased the fine to Olimpija Ljubljana from around 52,000 euros to 60,000 euros. They wanted and expected a different verdict, said managing director Christian Keller. And further: “We have always said that we have always taken the transfer ban scenario into account and will plan our squad accordingly until the end of the now fixed ban.”
The background is the signing of youth player Jaka Cuber Potocnik in January 2022. His former club accused the Cologne team of inciting the then 16-year-old Potocnik to change and defended themselves against this with FIFA. On February 1, 2023, the Dispute Resolution Chamber found 1. FC Köln guilty of unjustified breach of contract and incitement to breach of contract.
Meanwhile, according to information from “Bild”, the Cologne team’s separation from Baumgart was already clear before the 2-0 defeat at 1. FC Union Berlin on Wednesday. A crisis meeting that night apparently strengthened both sides in their decision. “The path we have taken has required a lot of strength and conviction from everyone involved, especially from Steffen. After the unsatisfactory course of the season so far, we have exchanged ideas very openly, directly, objectively and respectfully over the past few days and weeks about whether this strength and conviction are really still present to a sufficient extent,” FC managing director Christian Keller was quoted as saying in a statement from the club.
Successor still unclear
While the end became public, Baumgart was already skiing in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, where he has spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve with his family for years. It is uncertain who will succeed him. One candidate is said to be Cologne’s U21 coach Evangelos Sbonias.
Despite all his affection for FC, the 51-year-old had recently had more and more doubts. The coach did not lack the support of his professionals. Davie Selke attested to the football teacher that he had “clear statements” and a “great speech” immediately after the 2-0 defeat in Berlin. A separation would be counterproductive, the striker said. Goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe was even clearer: “We fully support the coach and know what we have in him. It’s not his fault.”
In addition to the alarming sporting decline, which was accelerated by the loss of top performers such as Jonas Hector and Ellyes Skhiri, the increasingly tense relationship with Christian Keller may have contributed to the separation. Baumgart recently publicly criticized the sports director’s plans to sell regular player Dejan Ljubicic in order to be able to finance new additions. “If there is no money, you have to get some,” the coach demanded. “In this city and in this club it must be possible to act differently than we currently do. We cannot keep giving away the best and most expensive players.”
Baumgart “will always remain part of the FC family”
With his direct address and his shirt-sleeved demeanor, Baumgart quickly made himself popular with Cologne supporters after taking office in the summer of 2021. His trademark – the flat cap – became a bestseller in the cathedral city. In a surprisingly strong first season, FC moved into the Europa Conference League under his direction. After seventh place in 2021/2022 and eleventh place in 2022/2023, the Rhinelanders are now in the middle of a relegation battle. However, with a distance of only three points, the saving bank is still within striking distance.
Baumgart had seen the disaster coming. “It must be clear to everyone that we are having a very difficult year, that the relegation battle will come down to the last match day,” he said after the 6-0 defeat in Leipzig at the end of October. The Rostock native turned out to be right. The Cologne team’s longing for more continuity in the coaching position is back with the separation. “Steffen has been good for the FC with his positive, emotional and inspiring manner since he took office. He led the way from the beginning and gave a lot to the FC, the city and its fans, but also to us committees and the entire FC staff he will always remain part of the FC family,” said FC President Werner Wolf.