Newsblog for 1. FC Cologne
Funkel and Kessler take over at FC
Updated on 05.05.2025 – 11:33 a.m.Reading time: 63 min.
The 1. FC Köln is the football club from the cathedral city. In the New sticker on T-Online you will find all the important messages about the “billy goats”.
The 1st FC Köln has confirmed the separation from Christian Keller as sports director and Gerhard Struber as head coach. As the billy goats announced on Monday, Thomas Kessler, as sports director, takes over the tasks of Kellers, while Friedhelm Funkel, as head coach, is supposed to lead FC to promotion.
“Our decision is the result of a detailed analysis of sporting development in the past few weeks,” said President Werner Wolf. “In view of the still great chance of direct return, we have to do everything we can to take advantage of this opportunity.” FC cannot rely on the results of the competition. “The team has to reflect on their own strength for the last two games. It now needs new impulses. We haven’t seen them anymore.”
Christian Keller and Gerhard Struber are in front of the 1st FC Köln. The personnel bang announced on Sunday when the board, management and sporting management met for the crisis discussion. On Sunday evening, the sports director and the head coach have to go – and immediately.
The discharge of the duo is to be confirmed by the association on Monday morning. In the embarrassment of 1-1 against Regensburg, the fans of the billy goats had turned against the basement and struber and loudly demanded the duo to be thrown out. Two game days before the end, FC is there without a sporting tour.
Trainer routine Friedhelm Funkel is to lead the 1st FC Köln back to the Bundesliga. According to the matching media reports, the 71 -year -old takes over for the last two season games of the 2nd league – the separation from Gerhard Struber is not yet official. Among other things, the kicker reported on this on Sunday.
Mark Uth ends his active career after the 2024/25 season. According to a report by the Geissblog, the 33-year-old informed the team on Saturday before the home game against SSV Jahn Regensburg. Now the FC has also confirmed this: “Following the standard meeting, Mark Uth spoke to the team and announced his end of his career,” says the association’s website. The ex-international was hardly used this season due to numerous injuries.
After an almost three -year suffering due to a pubic violation, Uth hangs up his football shoes. “The team here at the Geißbockheim was not easy for me,” Uth is quoted. “At the age of twelve, my path started at FC and after a time in professional football that I am really proud of, I am happy that he ends here.” Until then Uth has one goal: “That we are back in the Bundesliga after the last two games.”
The Cologne native has played 294 professional games so far, 76 of them for 1. FC Köln, where he had switched from youth to professional football. Uth also played for Heerenveen and Almelo in the Netherlands as well as for TSG Hoffenheim and FC Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga.
Surprise in the goal of 1. FC Köln: Anthony Racioppi is only number three at the billy goats. The Swiss had only been hired on loan in winter, FC even has a purchase option for the 26-year-old. But the goalkeeper will probably not sit on the replacement bank against Jahn Regensburg on Saturday.