Latest news with #ChristianKeller
CNA
4 days ago
- Sport
- CNA
Promoted Cologne appoint Kwasniok as manager
Cologne have appointed Lukas Kwasniok as their new manager, the newly-promoted Bundesliga club said on Friday, with the Polish born 43-year-old signing a three-year contract. Kwasniok managed German second-tier side Paderborn for the past four seasons, narrowly missing out on promotion in his final campaign when finishing fourth in the standings, while Cologne won the division. "Over several years in Paderborn, he has impressively shown that he can develop a team, play attractive and successful football and promote young players to a higher level," Cologne Sporting Director Thomas Kessler said in a club statement. Gerhard Struber was Cologne manager last season until his dismissal, along with Sporting Director Christian Keller, with just two games remaining after the club slipped to second spot and their automatic promotion was at risk. Cologne appointed Friedhelm Funkel until the end of the season, who won the final two matches to clinch top spot in his third spell at the club, but have now opted to go with Kwasniok whose playing career in Germany was cut short by injury.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
From villain to fan favourite: affection over money?
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here. "I'm so proud of the team, I'm so proud of each and every one of you. There's only one thing left to sing: Never second division again!" Goosebumps for the HSV fans, who probably couldn't even comprehend what had just happened at that moment. Hamburger SV is back in the top flight after seven years. Seven years can be a damn long time. But it worked out. And the first one to grab the microphone in the stadium to speak to the celebrating fans was Davie Selke. Not the captain or the vice-captain. The striker took the lead, and not for the first time this season. He has developed into a leader and is being carried on the fans' hands after the promotion. They know what they owe him, because he's having the best season of his career. 22 goals in 30 games - never more. At the beginning of the season, it wasn't planned that Selke would get such an important role. As the second striker behind Robert Glatzel, the former Cologne player was signed, followed the call of Steffen Baumgart, and probably even turned down a better contract with the Billy Goats. Effzeh wanted to extend with the attacker, but Selke let the deadline for the extension pass. As ex-sports director Christian Keller confirmed to 'Bild', the door was closed after that. "We would have liked to extend," Keller tells 'Bild'. "But at some point, it was also a strategic decision on whom we would rely if we couldn't extend him the way we imagined." The decision-makers opted for Damion Downs and Tim Lemperle. And against Davie Selke. 📸 Christof Koepsel - 2024 Getty Images Under his Instagram post to say goodbye, the opinions of the fans were divided. Some would have liked to keep him, but many users also called him a "mercenary". Because after just one and a half years, he moved on to Hamburg. Skepticism spread again about whether Selke could really help HSV with the mission of promotion. Like so many times in his career. He was never an unrestricted fan favorite, often unpopular or at least controversial among his own fans. Even more so among opponents. He often had to put up with the accusation that he only switched for the money. A mercenary, after all. This is also evident in the comment columns on his Instagram page. Meanwhile, these comments have become less frequent, instead, the striker is celebrated by the HSV fans. After the promotion, he enjoyed the bath in the crowd. 📸En bild som många HSV-fans förmodligen kommer bära med sig resten av livet & även spelaren själv, Davie Selke. Anfallaren kom på free transfer inför säsongen efter ett par tunga år & lyckades ta revansch:⚽️22 mål på 30 ligamatcher — Keven Bader (@Keven_Bader) May 14, 2025 The fans cheer him on and recently crowned him the 2nd division player of the season in a vote by ' The proportion of Hamburgers in this vote was probably high. Now the goal-getter cannon is waiting for him. The fact that Selke is so successful this season is also due to his teammates. Because HSV plays the football he needs. Miro Muheim and Jean-Luc Dompé provide him with the crosses, he just has to head them in. But he hasn't just won over the hearts of the HSV fans with his goals. He shows his emotions on the pitch, but also suffers when he's just sitting on the bench. He played with a mask after his collarbone fracture, showed commitment and teamwork. His colleagues celebrate him, like after the win against Kaiserslautern. "Davie is a machine," said Fabio Baldé. Adedire Mebude called him a monster. "You can't rate his value outside the pitch highly enough," added Loic Favé. As 'Bild' reports, Selke is the "training police". He always pushes his teammates. They should have the unconditional will to score the goal. And how does the striker himself rate the best season of his career? "I don't even want to talk about it. What matters is that the team is very appreciative of me. And I'm a type who needs that," he said in February after that win against Kaiserslautern. On the pitch, he's sought after by his colleagues. "That means a lot to me and also gives me the incentive to stay here," added the 30-year-old. Words that all HSV fans will be happy to hear. They want to go to the Bundesliga with the striker. That's the tenor under his promotion pictures on Instagram. But the extension is still pending. As 'kicker' reports, Selke wants to make a final decision after the season. The sticking point is the contract length, because the striker wants to stay for three more years and, of course, get more money. The club, on the other hand, might have a shorter contract term in mind. If he extends, Davie Selke could shed his image as a "mercenary" for the first time in his career. The fans would then cheer him on again and carry him on their hands. Especially if it's "never again" to the second division thanks to him. 📸 RONNY HARTMANN - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cologne sack coach, sporting director despite being in promotion spot
Cologne coach Gerhard Struber reacts during the German second Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Cologne and Jahn Regensburg at RheinEnergie stadium. The club announced the exits of Gerhard Struber and Christian Keller on Monday, adding that 71-year-old coach and twice former Cologne boss Friedhelm Funkel would take charge for the rest of the season. Marius Becker/dpa German second-division side Cologne, who are three points clear in an automatic promotion place with two games to play, have sacked their coach and sporting director. The club announced the exits of Gerhard Struber and Christian Keller on Monday, adding that 71-year-old coach and twice former Cologne boss Friedhelm Funkel would take charge for the rest of the season. Advertisement The pair were fired amid fan anger following Sunday's 1-1 home draw with relegated Jahn Regensburg. They had lost 1-0 at Hanover the previous weekend. Cologne, who face Nuremberg and Kaiserslautern in their final two games, are trying to bounce straight back to the Bundesliga. Fellow former Bundesliga heavyweights SV Hamburg lead the second-tier table.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
1. FC Köln will sack Gerhard Struber
Despite sitting second and three points clear of third, FC Köln will part ways with head coach Gerhard Struber and sporting director Christian Keller, according to . Die Geißböcke have won just one of their last five league games and have lost top spot in the 2. Bundesliga to Hamburg following their 1-1 draw against bottom club Jahn Regensburg on Saturday night. With games against Nürnberg and Kaiserslautern to end their season and HSV, Elversberg and Paderborn all winning, Effzeh have made the decision. This comes following a crisis meeting after the draw against Regensburg. Kölnische Rundschau further report that the team has been involved, and all that is pending is an official confirmation. According to , Friedhelm Funkel (71) is the favourite to take charge of the remaining two games of the season. He has managed to help six teams get promoted to the Bundesliga. GGFN | Daniel Pinder
