Mission Bundesliga class maintenance
Cologne introduces new head coach
Updated on June 6th, 2025 – 9:11 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
It had already indicated, now it’s official. After long negotiations, the promoted team from Cologne fetches his new coach from the 2nd Bundesliga.
The Bundesliga returnor 1. FC Köln has chosen the coach for the relegation mission after a long hanging game. The 43-year-old succeeds Friedhelm Funkel at the second division champion, he comes from second division SC Paderborn and receives a contract until 2028.
Cologne’s sports director Thomas Kessler said in a message: “In the detailed and intensive conversations with Lukas, the impression has strengthened for us that with his personality, his conviction and his approach, it fits very well with the 1. FC Köln and the Cologne location.” Kwasniok is the right coach to “further develop and stabilize the climber in the upper house”.
In the past season, Kwasniok fought for the ascent with Paderborn until the last matchday. He had already announced his farewell to the East Westphalia in mid -April, but Kwasniok still had a contract, but FC must pay a transfer for the exempted coach.
With the commitment of Kwasniok, a piece of FC history is repeated, and Cologne had already signed the long-time coach of the SCP in 2021. Under Steffen Baumgart, the Rhinelanders, previously saved in the relegation, did the qualification for the Conference League straight away. Kwasniok succeeded Baumgart in Paderborn four years ago.
With Funkel, who had led FC as the successor to the released Gerhard Struber with victories in the last two season games to the seventh Bundesliga promotion, the Cologne leadership was unable to agree on a further cooperation.