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Funkel leaves board: FC Köln is looking for a new captain before the start of the season!
Friedhelm Funkel is leaving 1. FC Köln as coach and is planning his first cruise in the Mediterranean with his wife.
Funkel leaves board: FC Köln is looking for a new captain before the start of the season!
Friedhelm Funkel will no longer be the coach of 1. FC Köln. The 71-year-old announced this in an interview with the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”, a few days after he led the team to promotion to the Bundesliga. Despite the support of fans and some players, including defender Dominique Heintz, Funkel “did not feel 100 percent approval in the committees” and described his decision as “irrevocable”. He doesn't want to wait for a majority for his return and emphasized that confidence in the new season is crucial. After the new sports director Thomas Kessler was unable to achieve a majority for him in the joint committee, Funkel decided not to take part in the selection process for a new coach. Kessler expressed his gratitude for Funkel's clear stance and his services to the club and would like to stay in touch so that he can contribute his expertise in the future. FC Cologne now faces the challenge of finding a new coach as pre-season preparation begins at the beginning of July. Possible candidates for successor are Christian Titz, Urs Fischer, Bo Svensson, Horst Steffen, Lukas Kwasniok, Christian Eichner, Sandro Wagner and also Pellegrino Matarazzo.
Upheavals in the club
Parallel to Funkel's announcement, there were profound personnel changes in the club. The board of directors of 1. FC Köln has dismissed sporting director Christian Keller and head coach Gerhard Struber with immediate effect. Keller, who has been in his position since April 2022 and signed Struber after relegation in the summer of 2024, expresses his thanks to the fans and emphasizes the importance of a sustainable future for FC. Struber himself spoke of the challenge of the season and wished the team much success in the remaining games. President Werner Wolf praised the achievements of Keller and Struber, but described Kessler and Funkel as “absolute FC connoisseurs”. Kessler, who was previously head of the licensed football department, is now taking over the sporting management as sports director.
The return of Funkel
Friedhelm Funkel brings Matthias Lust with him as assistant coach and has already emphasized his connection to 1. FC Köln. He was previously the club's head coach from 2002 to 2003 and again in 2021. Funkel plans to continue his coaching career, feels fit enough and will play tennis next Saturday. In June he will also be going on a cruise in the Mediterranean for the first time with his wife Anja. However, this personal progress is overshadowed by the current changes at the club, which are clear signs of a new beginning.