1. FC Köln has a new head coach. The new man was most recently in the RB cosmos and has Champions League experience.

Gerhard Struber is the new coach of second division club 1. FC Köln. Following previous reports, the relegated Bundesliga club has now officially announced the appointment.

“I am approaching the task with great anticipation and a lot of positive thoughts. I’m really looking forward to getting to know the team, getting to know the coaching staff, getting to know the fans. I want to immerse myself very quickly and really deeply in the FC world in order to chase our goals and achieve them,” said Struber on taking up his new position.

The 47-year-old Austrian with a UEFA Pro license most recently coached first division club RB Salzburg and reached the UEFA Champions League group stage with the club. Prior to that, he was on the touchline at RB New York in the American professional league MLS and gained professional experience with FC Barnsley (England) and Wolfsberger AC (Austria).

The coach began his coaching career back in 2007 with youth teams in the RB youth academy. In 2016, he was given the coaching position at farm team FC Liefering. So he has a long history in the RB cosmos.

“We are very happy that we were able to win Gerhard Struber as the new head coach for FC Köln. Gerhard fits our requirements profile perfectly. His ability to fit in with FC’s playing philosophy and his expertise and experience in developing young players are just a few examples. In addition, Gerhard brings a great deal of conviction and the absolute will to master our sporting challenges together with a great deal of positivity, energy and hard work,” said Cologne CEO Christian Keller.

Struber will welcome the FC professional team to the Geißbockheim for performance diagnostics on June 21, 2024 and will lead the first team training session three days later. He will also be officially introduced in Cologne on this day, according to the Billy Goats. Further coaching positions are still to be filled