Cologne, Wolfsburg and the crisis shortly before the end of the season

Change of coaches immediately before the end of the season are rare even in the fast -moving business of professional football. The situation is different this season. Six clubs in the first and second league have exchanged their instructors in the past few weeks. The panic seems to be the greatest way to no longer achieve the given goals at 1. FC Köln. It is in league two on a promotion place, the lead to relegation rank three and fourth place has melted after a draw against relegated Regensburg on three points. On Monday, the club tour announced that both coach Gerhard Struber and sports manager Christian Keller can look for new jobs.

In the first division, the club is said to have a proven expert for Bundesliga ascents: Friedhelm Funkel. The 71-year-old has already done this six times and is therefore a lonely leader. Among other things, 20 years ago it went up a league with Cologne. It should not be a particularly long term this time. Funkel signed until the end of the season – for two games or just under two weeks. Former goalkeeper Thomas Kessler will be the new sports director. Of course, there is nothing to hear or read about a panic decision within the club. President Werner Wolf, who is responsible for the decision, is quoted in the press release by the fact that the step is « the result of an in -depth analysis of sporting development in recent weeks ».

For Friedhelm Funkel, the 1st FC Köln is « a matter close to the heart »

Only one victory from the past five games had trusted coaches Struber, who had only come at the beginning of the season. Because sports director Keller had linked his fate to that of the head coach, he also had to go. Funkel, who had saved the Cologne residents in the relegation in 2021, described the FC as a « heart affair » and added: « From now on, it’s about mobilizing everything in the remaining two games, finding the belief in your own strength and creating the ascent together. » Unthinkable what would happen in Cologne if the ascent is actually still being screwed up.

In the second division, the trainers have flown in rows in recent weeks: At the end of April, Kaiserslautern Markus started at the door and replaced it with Torsten Lieberknechtin Hanover, the only beginning at the beginning of the year had to André Breitenreiter go and was replaced by a trainer trio from his own club. Prussia Prussia Münster separated from the latest matchday Coach Sascha Hildmann and rely on ex-international Christian Pander as a team manager. At Schalke, the one who also only announced during the season Kees van Wonderen a few weeks ago his farewell at the end of the season. After the 0: 2 against Paderborn, his club came before and exchanged him on Saturday against U23 coach Jakob Fimpel.

Because of Hasenhüttl: Niko Kovac sends a message to ex-club Wolfsburg

They are wild times in the lower house: only seven clubs will end the season with the coach, which was also on the bench at the start. Stand now, as Niko Kovac once said. On Saturday he also commented on his colleague Ralph Hasenhüttl, who had lost 0: 4 against Kovac and BVB with VfL Wolfsburg. Hasenhüttl has been criticized by VfL for weeks – the club where Kovac had tried not too long ago. « You have to ask yourself the question when you look at how many coaches have been here in recent years, whether it is always due to the coach, » Kovac sent a message to his ex-club. He heard the words, weighed – and threw Hasenhüttl out on Sunday evening. For the remaining two season games, U19 coach Daniel Bauer takes over the team with U19-Co coach Julian Klamt and U16 head coach Tobias Holm.

On Friday, the wolves will be against TSG Hoffenheim. Whether the Sinsheimers continue with Christian Ilzer beyond the season? That is at least questionable. The Austrian came from Graz during the season, but is at least counted. A farewell to the good – it is the only one of this kind – indicates in Leverkusen. There nobody expects the remaining of Xabi Alonso, who should be on the wish list at Real Madrid. His player Granit Xhaka sent his outgoing coach in the public best regards: « No matter what happens, we had a good time. » That is more than many colleagues in Alonsos to say goodbye.