Stale Solbakken Announced As New Köln Manager

FC Köln announced today that Ståle Solbakken would be taking over as club manager beginning on July 1, 2011. The 43 year old Norwegian is the current manager of FC Copenhagen. He will see out the remaining season with the Danish Superliga club.

The season was full of ups and downs for Köln. They would finish 10th, but it took three different managers to them there. Zvonimir Soldo began the season as the club’s manager, but he was dismissed after only nine matches. Frank Schaefer, who was managing the U-23 side, was named as the new manager. On April 27, with the threat of relegation very real, Köln Sporting Director Volker Finke was named interim manager until the end of the season.