Köln delay decision on permanent coach as Wagner impresses Kessler

Köln will not rush a decision on appointing a permanent coach, as Thomas Kessler didn’t rule out the possibility of a future with René Wagner.

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Köln lost their last home game of the season to relegation-threatened Heidenheim. The result disappointed the home fans as some sections of the 50,000-seat stadium booed the team after the final whistle.

However, sporting director Thomas Kessler and captain Marwin Schwäbe decided to stay calm. The Billy Goats have only collected six points from as many games since René Wagner replaced Lukas Kwasniok as an interim coach until the end of the season.

"At the end of the day, he (Wagner) took over in a situation that was rough for us,” said Kessler after the game as he thanked the 37-year-old coach for securing Köln’s league status. “He stabilized our team as it’s now very quiet. It's a success that we stay in Bundesliga."

Schwäbe also praised the interim coach's influence as he sees plenty of reasons for Köln to continue working with him. The goalkeeper added that Wagner created a good relationship with the team with “a clear and good” structure.

As it was the last home fixture, Kessler was quizzed about the subject of appointing a permanent coach. "I have commented very extensively on the topic this week," said the former goalkeeper in the flash interview with DAZN.

He ruled out the possibility of announcing the coach for the 2026/27 season before next week’s game away at champions Bayern. "Then, we'll sit down and analyse the whole season. But it is not only about the coaching issue. I feel absolutely no pressure about the timing of the decision.”