Bundesliga
Cologne coach search nearing completion: “External solution”
Cologne’s sports director Christian Keller is relying on an “external solution” to replace coach Steffen Baumgart. photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
The first training session at 1. FC Köln will be led by the previous assistant coach André Pawlak. But the search for a Baumgart successor should be completed in the next few days.
At 1. FC Cologne the search is on for a successor to head coach Steffen Baumgart shortly before the end.
“We spent the days after Steffen’s release intensively looking for a new candidate. I assume that a decision will be made in the next few days,” said sports director Christian Keller. Although the previous assistant coach André Pawlak led the first training session of the relegation-threatened Bundesliga club in the new year, according to Keller he is not a candidate for promotion: “It will be an external solution.”
The decision should be made by the time the league restarts
Keller doesn’t see the fact that FC wasn’t able to present a new coach at the start of training as a big problem. The decision should have been made by the league restart on January 13th against Heidenheim: “Thoroughness comes before speed. And we did it very thoroughly. But the new coach shouldn’t come for another two weeks.” Keller did not comment on media speculation that FC had held talks with Matthias Kohler and Bo Henriksen: “There were very, very many names mentioned, I don’t want to comment on any of them.”
The hitherto relatively unknown Kohler is currently without a club. The 32-year-old coached the Dutch first division club FC Volendam until the beginning of December, but resigned due to unrest in the club’s management despite a contract valid until 2026. Previously, he worked in the youth team at FC Basel and at Ajax Amsterdam, among others. The 48-year-old Henriksen is currently working successfully at FC Zurich. He moved from FC Midtjylland to Switzerland in October 2022 and saved the then bottom team from relegation. His team is currently in third place.
Further changes in the FC coaching staff
After parting ways with Baumgart on December 21st, the Cologne team made further changes to the coaching staff. As Keller confirmed, the previous assistant coach René Wagner and goalkeeping coach Uwe Gospodarek were released. Both moved to FC together with Baumgart in the summer of 2021. Baumgart’s other two former assistants, Pawlak and Kevin McKenna, will remain at FC under the direction of the new head coach. “This is non-negotiable,” said Keller.
Jaka Cuber Potocnik was there at the start of training. The signing of the youth player in January 2022 earned the FC a transfer ban for the next two transfer periods. His former club Olimpija Ljubljana had accused the Cologne team of inciting the then 16-year-old talent to move and defended themselves against this with FIFA. The Cas International Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed the penalty imposed by the world association shortly before Christmas.