Course for the future – quartet should extend contracts
Cologne’s managing director Christian Keller had set himself the goal of conducting initial contract negotiations by the end of August.Image: www.imago-images.de / Nordphoto
After staying up in the 2021 relegation against Holstein Kiel, 1. FC Köln signed Steffen Baumgart as coach a good year ago. It’s been going well at Cologne ever since. The native of Rostock followed his team in 7th place right at the first attempt and thus even enables participation in the Conference League.
Steffen Baumgart led Paderborn into the Bundesliga and 1. FC Köln back into the European Cup. Image: imago images
Because of the success, the club management does not want any change. Baumgart’s contract was extended until 2024 in June. According to “Kicker”, the negotiations with his assistant coaches are now about to be concluded.
André Pawlak and Kevin McKenna have each spent part of their coaching careers in Cologne. René Wagner, on the other hand, came with Baumgart from Paderborn in 2021. Together with goalkeeping coach Uwe Gospodarek, they should continue to help Baumgart to keep the club on the road to success.
Pawlak, McKenna, Wagner and head coach Steffen Baumgart (from left) at a tactics meeting on the pitch.Image: www.imago-images.de / Herbert Bucco
Managing director Christian Keller had already announced in June that he wanted to stay longer with the coaching team. He had planned to be through with the first talks about contract extensions by the end of August.
Keller is not only very satisfied with the past season and the participation in the European Cup, which has only just been secured in the qualification. He also liked the preparation: “The intensity was high, but we quickly remained without injuries. That speaks for a really good management and really good preparation by the coaching team“Kicker quotes him as saying.
Incidentally, Keller will also extend the contract with various players from the team, including Ellyes Skhiri, who is now entering his last year of contract. However, “there is no time pressure on this issue”, as hetable football“explained. On August 31, Keller was still able to transfer midfielder Niklas Hauptmann to Dynamo Dresden.
(kpk)
After staying up in the 2021 relegation against Holstein Kiel, 1. FC Köln signed Steffen Baumgart as coach a good year ago. It’s been going well at Cologne ever since. The native of Rostock followed his team in 7th place right at the first attempt and thus even enables participation in the Conference League.