Cologne have announced the appointment of Armin Veh as their new general manager. The former coach, who led Stuttgart to the Bundesliga title in 2007, replaces Jörg Schmadtke, who left the club in October.According to a statement posted on the the Bundesliga club’s website on Wednesday, Armin Veh, 56, is to take up his duties in Cologne next Monday, December 11 and has been given a contract that runs through the 2019-20 season. His official title is general manager but his role appears to me more that of a sporting director.
“In Armin Veh we have hired someone for this position who fulfills all of our criteria,” Cologne’s president, Werner Spinner, said. “The fact that we have been able to convince Armin Veh to take on this task is a signal of a new departure for FC (Cologne) and it is very good for us,” he added.
“I am looking forward to embarking on this long-term project,” Veh said.
The statement also pointed to the fact that Veh can draw on his experience as a coach in more than 600 Bundesliga games for a number of clubs, including Eintracht Frankfurt, Hamburg and Wolfsburg. His biggest success came in the 2006-07 season, when he coached Stuttgart to the Bundesliga title.
Wealth of coaching experience
Veh, who knows Cologne’s managing director, Alexander Wehrle from their time at Stuttgart, replaces former sporting director Jörg Schmadkte, who left the club back in October after the team got off to a disappointing start, just months after having qualified for Europe for the first time in 25 years.
The top priority for Veh in his new role is expected to be finding a new head coach to replace Peter Stöger, who was sacked on Sunday, less than 24 hour Cologne’s spirited 2-2 draw at Schalke.
