- FC Cologne and their coach, Timo Schultz, are parting ways after the club's seventh descent from the Bundesliga. Schultz's contract won't be renewed. Additionally, two of the coach's long-time assistants, André Pawlak and Kevin McKenna, will also be leaving the team.
1. FC Köln splits from coach Schultz following relegation.
In a statement released on Monday, the Rhineland club announced that Schultz, who was appointed at the beginning of the year with hopes of turning the team around, would not be continuing in the 2. Liga. His contract runs until June 30, 2024, but it will not be renewed.
FC business manager Christian Keller remarked, "We spent a lot of time together in the past week discussing the second half of the season with Timo and exploring every possible option. In the end, we all agreed that we needed a fresh start in the coaching team for the challenging second league season."
Despite Schultz's coaching experience at FC Basel and FC St. Pauli, he was unable to change the course for Cologne in the second half of the season. His team won only three games in the 18 matches he coached. They consistently remained in the relegation zone.
Regarding the decision, Schultz stated, "Since we didn't achieve our primary goal - class maintenance - I think it's consistent and appropriate for someone else to begin a new chapter."
No details have been shared yet about who will replace Schultz as the team's coach. The incoming coach faces a tough scenario. The team will lose some of its best players. Defensive maestro Jeff Chabot has already moved on to VfB Stuttgart. And due to FIFA's ban on player transfers for two periods, Cologne can only rely on loan returns and youth players from their academy during the summer transfer window.
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Source: www.ntv.de
