Cologne sack coach, sporting director despite being in promotion spot
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.
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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.
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