Former Barnsley manager Gerhard Struber has sensationally been sacked by Cologne with the side on the brink of Bundesliga promotion.
The Austrian, who coached in the Championship between 2019 and 2020, leaves with two games to play and Cologne three points clear in the automatic promotion spots.
Struber arrived at the start of the 2024/25 campaign after stints with Red Bull outfits New York and Salzburg and has had the Billy Goats in the promotion picture for much of the season.
Yet that target has come under threat during their last two games with a loss to Hannover before a draw against already-relegated bottom-of-the-table Jahn Regensburg.
That shock 1-1 was enough to cut ties with Struber, who responded by saying: “I’ve often spoken throughout the season about a marathon we have to run together.
“The standings show how tough this race is for all teams. Now that the finish line is in sight and we have a good chance of winning, the decision really hurts.”
Sporting director Christian Keller was also sacked at the same time and club president Werner Wolf explained the ruthless decision.
“Our decision is the result of a thorough analysis of the sporting development in recent weeks,” he said.
“Given the still great chance of direct promotion, we must do everything in our power to seize this opportunity.
“We can’t rely on the results of our opponents. The team has to focus on its own strengths for the last two games. It needs new impetus for that now. We haven’t seen that.”
Cologne have named Friedhelm Funkel as their new coach, with the 71-year-old veteran returning for a third stint.
Funkel has coached over 300 games in the Bundesliga 2 and over 400 in the Bundesliga, showing the necessary experience in the top flight the club wouldn’t have had with Struber.
Barnsley fans will have good memories of StruberGettyFunkel also led the unfancied second tier Kaiserslautern to the DFB Pokal final last season where they narrowly lost 1-0 to Bayer Leverkusen.
“FC is and remains a matter close to my heart,” he said.
“From now on, it’s all about mobilizing everything in the remaining two games, rediscovering our belief in our own strength, and achieving promotion together.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge and am convinced that we will achieve our goal.”
Sky report that Cologne didn’t have confidence in Struber’s abilities in the top flight and decided to make the decision early to part ways given recent results.
Despite the Rheinland side sitting second, they’ve only scored 47 league goals this season, fewer than 11 other Bundesliga 2 sides.
Struber will still be looked upon fondly in Barnsley where he achieved a miraculous survival campaign.
Hired by the EFL side in November 2019, the team were seven points from survival and spent much of the season in the relegation zone.
However, two stoppage time wins against big guns Nottingham Forest and Brentford lifted them out of the bottom three on the final day of the season.
The side were mid-table for the following campaign, before Struber was poached by New York Ref Bulls in MLS.
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