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

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

1. FC Köln has found a new head for the season: Lukas Kwasniok takes over as coach and brings a breath of fresh air to the billy goat city. The 43-year-old, who previously worked at SC Paderborn, has signed a contract until June 2028 and will therefore be the first FC coach to be hired directly after a successful time in Paderborn. He succeeds Friedhelm Funkel, who led the team to the second division championship and promotion, and has big shoes to fill. Still, Kwasniok brings an impressive record, having never finished worse than seventh in the league in the last four seasons. This is reported by kicker.

After the announcement of his move, Kwasniok spoke of an “amicable separation” in Paderborn and the intention to take a break after the last game. But the prospect of a challenge in Cologne was probably too tempting to turn down. Sports director Thomas Kessler also acted quickly and had to negotiate a transfer fee with Paderborn, as Kwasniok's contract there ran until the summer of 2026. A transfer fee of 1.5 million euros was agreed.

A new beginning in Cologne

In his new role, Kwasniok will join some promising talents such as Ragnar Ache and Isak Bergmann Johannesson, who have already been signed to strengthen the team. Cologne sees him as the ideal candidate to form a young team and develop the necessary potential. Kessler praises Kwasniok's ability to develop players and drive the team forward. These attributes could be crucial to bring Cologne back into the upper regions of the Bundesliga. FC has often been in the shadow of success in recent seasons and is now giving Kwasniok the well-deserved chance to prove himself in the first league. According to Yahoo Sports, he was named number one to replace Funkel at a committee meeting on Sunday.

This change also has an interesting context: Kwasniok is already the second coach to move from Paderborn to Cologne recently, after Steffen Baumgart successfully took this route. This shows that the collaboration between both clubs is obviously fruitful and Kwasniok has the confidence to be able to successfully implement his ideas.

A look into the future

Kwasniok's official introduction will take place after his summer vacation at the end of June. The anticipation for the coming season is already noticeable, both among the fans and the club management. FC Cologne has high hopes for the new coach and expects a fresh, attacking style of football that will further develop the team. The people of Cologne are facing an exciting new beginning, which is already being anticipated with nervousness and curiosity.

Despite all the insights and anticipation, it remains to be seen how the new coach will perform on the big stage of the Bundesliga. It's a risk, but it also offers great opportunities. For the people of Cologne, this means that they are taking a courageous step towards a hopefully successful future.

Further details on the coaching change story can be found on Transfermarkt.