Funkel to 1. FC Kaiserslautern: Hengen explains coaching change

Praise from fellow coach Zorniger

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When he returned to the Betzenberg, Friedhelm Funkel was greeted with applause. Around 500 fans warmly greeted the new coach of second division club 1. FC Kaiserslautern when he entered the pitch in a black tracksuit on Wednesday at 4 p.m. A good two months after his 70th birthday, the coaching oldie is back in the football business – and is supposed to save the Palatinate team from relegation from the 2nd Bundesliga.

In the delicate mission, the former FCK professional at least has a big season finale in Berlin: Funkel could reach the final of the DFB Cup with the Red Devils – he has never won this title as head coach. But the focus is on staying in the league. “It’s just about staying in the class,” emphasized FCK managing director Thomas Hengen.

That’s why the crisis-hit Palatinate team parted ways with head coach Dimitrios Grammozis on Tuesday evening – just 73 days after he took office. Under the 45-year-old German-Greek, who only took up his post on December 3rd as Dirk Schuster’s successor, the Lauterers lost five of six second division games. “Unfortunately, we were not able to achieve the turnaround and have therefore decided to take this step,” said Hengen, explaining Grammozis’ release.

Since the Rehhagel era: Kaiserslautern’s head coach based on points average

Otto Rehhagel | FCK points average: 1.71

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Otto Rehhagel’s time at 1. FC Kaiserslautern ended in 2000. His glorious aegis at the “Red Devils” was followed by 22 head coaches who then more or less took the reins at Betzenberg. How his predecessors fared is listed here – sorted by proof of work.
*Based on the average points given, victories in cup games are counted as three points.

22nd place – Krasimir Balakov | FCK points average: 0.38

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8 games in 2012

1 win, 7 defeats

21st place – Kjetil Rekdal | FCK points average: 0.90

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21 games between 2007 and 2008

4 wins, 7 draws, 10 defeats

20th place – Jeff Strasser | FCK points average: 0.91

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11 games between 2017 and 2018

2 wins, 4 draws, 5 defeats

19th place – Michael Henke | FCK points average: 1.00

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15 games in 2005

4 wins, 3 draws, 8 defeats

18th place – Tayfun Korkut | FCK points average: 1.06

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18 games in 2016

4 wins, 7 draws, 7 defeats

17th place – Norbert Meier | FCK points average: 1.08

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25 games in 2017

7 wins, 6 draws, 12 defeats

16th place – Dimitrios Grammozis | FCK points average: 1.13

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8 games between 2013 and 2014

3 wins, 0 draws, 5 defeats

15th place – Jeff Saibene | FCK points average: 1.14

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21 games between 2020 and 2021

4 wins, 12 draws, 5 defeats

14th place – Eric Gerets | FCK points average: 1.21

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57 games between 2002 and 2004

19 wins, 12 draws, 26 defeats

12th place – Konrad Fünfstück | FCK points average: 1.33

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27 games between 2015 and 2016

10 wins, 6 draws, 11 defeats

12th place – Kurt Jara | FCK points average: 1.33

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45 games between 2004 and 2005

17 wins, 9 draws, 19 defeats

11th place – Wolfgang Wolf | FCK points average: 1.37

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52 games between 2005 and 2007

18 wins, 17 draws, 17 defeats

10th place – Dirk Schuster | FCK points average: 1.45

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33 games since May 2022

12 wins, 12 draws, 9 defeats

9th place – Michael Frontzeck | FCK points average: 1.47

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36 games in 2018

15 wins, 8 draws, 13 defeats

8th place – Marco Kurz | FCK points average: 1.48

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104 games between 2009 and 2012

42 wins, 28 draws, 34 defeats

6th place – Sascha Hildmann | FCK points average: 1.55

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33 games between 2018 and 2019

14 wins, 9 draws, 10 defeats

6th place – Andreas Brehme | FCK points average: 1.55

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80 games between 2000 and 2002

38 wins, 10 draws, 32 defeats

4th place – Marco Antwerp | FCK points average: 1.57

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54 games between 2021 and 2022

22 wins, 16 draws, 12 defeats

4th place – Milan Sasic | FCK points average: 1.57

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46 games between 2000 and 2002

20 wins, 12 draws, 14 defeats

3rd place – Boris Schommers | FCK points average: 1.60

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40 games between 2019 and 2020

18 wins, 10 draws, 12 defeats

2nd place – Kosta Runjaic | FCK points average: 1.65

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77 games between 2013 and 2015

34 wins, 25 draws, 18 defeats

1st place – Franco Foda | FCK points average: 1.66

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44 games between 2012 and 2013

20 wins, 13 draws, 11 defeats

In the end, it didn’t help that he won the cup round of 16 against 1. FC Nürnberg and the quarter-finals at Hertha BSC and the FCK played against the winner of the duel 1. FC Saarbrücken against Borussia Mönchengladbach for a place in the final. Because in the league the Palatinate team fell to 16th place in the table. With only 21 points, the FCK is level on points with the penultimate Hansa Rostock and has to fear falling into the 3rd league two years after being promoted again.

Should save 1. FC Kaiserslautern: Funkel’s vita is unparalleled

This is to prevent sparkles. “Friedhelm Funkel has a CV that is second to none. He is very experienced and was also a FCK great as a player,” said Hengen about the new hopeful, who has confirmed his commitment until the end of the season. “He’s already done things in football that you need in these important moments like now.”


Cologne, 1860 & Co.
All Funkel trainer stations
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On Wednesday afternoon, Funkel led his first training session at the Fritz Walter Stadium. The former FCK professional from Krefeld last trained 1. FC Köln for a few months in 2021 and saved them from crashing out of the Bundesliga through relegation. “I still live 100 percent football. And when I was finally standing on the sidelines again, I noticed that the tingling sensation was still there,” Funkel told the “German Press Agency” on his special birthday in December. “I don’t rule out doing something as a coach again.”

Especially since Kaiserslautern is probably a matter close to the heart for the veteran: During his playing days – over 40 years ago – he played 89 competitive games for FCK. With well over 1,000 Bundesliga and second division games as a coach and player and eleven coaching positions (twice in Cologne), Funkel knows the business better than almost anyone else.

Top 10: Most appearances as a Bundesliga coach since 1963

10 Christoph Daum | 424 games for 4 clubs | 1.71 points per game

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9 Ottmar Hitzfeld | 460 games for 2 clubs | 1.98 points per game

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8 Hennes Weisweiler | 470 games for 2 clubs | 1.73 points per game

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7 Felix Magath | 502 games for 8 clubs | 1.64 points per game

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6 Friedhelm Funkel | 515 games for 7 clubs | 1.08 points per game

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5 Udo Lattek | 522 games for 5 clubs | 1.87 points per game

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4 Thomas Schaaf | 525 games for 3 clubs | 1.56 points per game

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3 Erich Ribbeck | 569 games for 5 clubs | 1.46 points per game

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2 Jupp Heynckes | 668 games for 5 clubs | 1.78 points per game

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1 Otto Rehhagel | 837 games for 8 clubs | 1.65 points per game

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The welcome greetings for the industry expert came from virtually all corners of German professional football. In Cologne, where Funkel recently completed his job successfully at FC, head coach Timo Schultz, who had met his colleague at the Cologne carnival meeting, praised Funkel’s timing. “It worked out perfectly for him to only start after the carnival session.”

Coach Alexander Zorniger from Lautern’s second division rival SpVgg Greuther Fürth is “extremely happy” that Funkel is back – “because he has something, he has a personality, he is eloquent. I have to ask about his secret, how he lasted these many years with almost 300 second division games and I don’t know how many first division games without suffering psychological damage.

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