The search for a coach at 1. FC Köln is entering its final phase. According to EXPRESS.de information, the personnel could be announced as early as Thursday (January 4, 2024). The Joint Committee must first give the green light.
Accordingly, those responsible around Christian Keller (45) have now decided on a favorite from the group of candidates. It should focus primarily on young people. Because the FC is not allowed to strengthen itself with external players until January 2025 due to the Cas ruling, youth work is given particular importance.
1. FC Cologne immediately before the coach announcement
“It is important for us that a new coach can deal with young players. But I don’t want it to be understood to mean that Steffen Baumgart couldn’t do it,” says Keller about the profile he was looking for. Meanwhile, the ex-coach personally said goodbye to the team and the office employees on Wednesday morning.
Age plays no more of a role in the search for a successor than Bundesliga experience, explained FC boss Keller using Julian Nagelsmann (36) as an example: “Experience is not always a question of age. Let’s take other younger coaches who have been with the youth team for years. Julian Nagelsmann was a youth coach for years and then eventually became head coach at Hoffenheim.”
That would speak for the most recently traded Matthias Kohler, who at the age of 32 is still a real greenhorn and has so far earned his spurs mainly in youth work (including Ajax Amsterdam and FC Basel).
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But according to EXPRESS.de information, the ex-coach of the Dutch club FC Volendam is not the favorite. Although Kohler is said to have left a good impression and was able to analyze the squad with all its strengths and weaknesses in amazing detail.
Christian Ilzer (46, Sturm Graz) and Bo Henriksen (48, FC Zurich), both of whom will continue to work at their clubs, are definitely out of the final stretch.
Christian Keller is looking for a head coach for FC for the first time
It is already clear that the Mister X we are looking for is closely linked to Christian Keller. The coach is one of the few external personnel decisions that the sports boss can make until January 2025. This shot has to be right after all the bankruptcies, bad luck and mishaps of the past weeks and months.
“But this is not about me personally. If I don’t live up to the responsibility, there will be people who will make decisions about me,” says Keller about the pressure.
But he is still convinced that FC will stay in the league despite the adversities. Therefore, the new coach should not receive a contract for the 2nd league. Keller says: “We assume that the coach who comes has the clear conviction that FC will stay in the Bundesliga. Therefore, the question of a second division contract does not arise for me.”
2024-01-03 14:59:57
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