Lukas Kwasniok new coach of 1. FC Köln: Departure to the Bundesliga!

Lukas Kwasniok new coach of 1. FC Köln: Departure to the Bundesliga!

Köln, Deutschland - The 1st FC Köln has found a new head for the season: Lukas Kwasniok takes over as a coach and brings a breath of fresh air to the goat. The 43-year-old, who previously worked at SC Paderborn, has signed a contract until June 2028 and thus becomes the first FC trainer to be hired immediately after a successful time in Paderborn. He follows Friedhelm Funkel, who led the team to the second division championship and the ascent, and has to fill big shoes. Nevertheless, Kwasniok brings an impressive balance sheet, since he never worse off in the last four seasons than seventh place in the league. This reports Kicker.

After the announcement of his change, Kwasniok spoke of a "mutually acceptable separation" in Paderborn and the intention to treat himself to a break after the last game. But the prospect of a challenge in Cologne was probably too tempting to reject it. Sports director Thomas Kessler was also active quickly and has to negotiate with Paderborn about a transfer fee, since Kwasniok's contract ran there until summer 2026. A transfer of 1.5 million euros was agreed.

a new beginning in Cologne

kwasniok meets some promising talents such as Ragnar Ache and Isak Bergmann Johannesson, who have already been obliged to strengthen the team. Cologne sees him the ideal candidates in order to form a young team and to develop the necessary potential. Kessler praises Kwasniok's skills to develop players and drive the team ahead. These attributes could be crucial to bring the Cologne team back into the upper regions of the Bundesliga. FC has often been in the shadow of success in the past seasons and now gives Kwasniok the opportunity to prove itself in the first division. According to Yahoo Sports, he was named as number one for the successor of Funkel at a committee meeting on Sunday.

This change also has an interesting context: Kwasniok is already the second coach who has recently changed from Paderborn to Cologne after Steffen Baumgart has successfully taken this path. This shows that the collaboration between the two clubs is apparently fertile and Kwasniok has the confidence in successfully implementing his ideas.

A look into the future

The official presentation of Kwasniok will take place after his summer vacation at the end of June. The anticipation for the coming season is already noticeable, both for fans and in the club management. FC Köln puts great hopes in the new trainer and expects a fresh, aggressive football to develop the team. The Cologne residents are faced with an exciting fresh start, which is already expected with nervousness and curiosity.

In spite of all insights and anticipation, it remains to be seen how the new coach will beat on the big stage of the Bundesliga. It is a risk, but it also carries great opportunities. For Cologne, this means that they take a courageous step into a hopefully successful future.

There are more details on the history of the coaches on Transfer market.