Bundesliga strugglers Cologne on Monday appointed veteran Friedhelm Funkel as caretaker coach in a bid to avoid relegation this season after the sacking of Markus Gisdol.

Gisdol was dismissed following Sunday’s 3-2 home defeat by Mainz and Funkel, 67, has been tasked with keeping Cologne up in his second spell at the club having been head coach for an 18-month spell until October 2003.

“Friedhelm doesn’t just have a lot of experience, but is also someone you can really trust in a situation like this,” said Cologne’s managing director Horst Heldt.

“He will coach our team until the end of the season, with the goal of staying up.”

 

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