Official | 1. FC Köln sack Lukas Kwasniok; former Steffen Baumgart protégé René Wagner takes over on interim basis | OneFootball

1. FC Köln announced the dismissal of Lukas Kwasniok on Sunday following their Matchday 27 draw against Rhein rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach, with assistant coach René Wagner taking charge on an interim basis.

Köln’s Statement on Lukas Kwasniok’s sacking

“We spent a great deal of time on Sunday discussing our current situation and came to the decision to inject new momentum into the head coaching position for the final phase of the season,” Köln managing director Thomas Kessler noted in a club statement. “Lukas’s football knowledge and his technical expertise are undisputed.

“He prepared our team for the matches with great care and a high level of commitment,” Kelly nevertheless continued. “Despite passionate and solid performances, a clear downward trend in our development has been evident recently. We’ve earned too few points. That is the reality.“

1. FC Köln welcome René Wagner

“We have known and valued René as a proven football expert since his first stint with us as an assistant coach,” said Kessler. “In the meantime, he has gained valuable experience at Hamburger SV and Union Berlin, and in his role with us since the start of the season.

“He knows the team and has a good rapport with the players,” Kessler continued. “We have every confidence that he can now translate the existing good performances back into positive results.”

Who is René Wagner?

The 37-year-old Dresden-native played for his hometown club reserve squad and bounced around the German lower divisions and a University team in Hawaii. In his final years as an active player with Hawaii’s Pacific University, Wagner also worked as a coach, continuing his career in Florida for several years in Florida before returning to his home country. 

Wagner worked under Steffen Baumgart at Kwasniok’s former club Paderborn, ultimately following Baumgart to Köln, Hamburg and Union Berlin. He was with Baumgart through his former mentor’s entire two-and-a-half-year-long stint between July 2021 and December 2023. Wagner – fluent in English – obtained his UEFA pro coaching license in England. 

GGFN | Peter Weis