1. FC Cologne
This is how Wagner’s debut went: a lot of calm until the explosion of celebration
April 6, 2026 – 7:56 a.mReading time: 3 minutes
René Wagner’s debut as head coach of 1. FC Köln could hardly have been more nerve-wracking. In the end there was a point for morale.
And when Eintracht made it 0-2 with a brace in just five minutes, the first defeat in the first Wagner game seemed perfect. But Kaminski did better just a minute after conceding the second goal and brought FC back closer. Then Wagner made three substitutions in the 85th minute – and thus had the golden touch.
Because all three players – first Waldschmidt with a header, then Bülter with a cross and finally Castro-Montes with the duster – ensured the initiation and completion of the goal to make the final score 2-2. “That was a great moment,” Wagner said with relief afterwards. The draw “should now give us a lot, a lot of strength.” He was “very, very happy” with his team’s performance and the result.
1. FC Köln: Wagner’s difference to Lukas Kwasniok
Wagner came to the game in black training pants and a black hoodie. He spent the 90 minutes largely quietly in the coaching zone. Noticeably often in the first half, he called individual players to him during breaks in the game and gave them new instructions. In the meantime he was seen crouching and thinking. However, he rarely became loud and gesticulated excessively.
Unlike his predecessor and boss Lukas Kwasniok, Wagner relied on calm and calmness on the sidelines. “I tried to stick to my task. I don’t do the team any favors by showing too much emotion outside. I’m generally not one to show a lot of emotion. I still tried to grab the boys before the game and again at halftime.”
