He once held the promise of the next great footballing star until injury paved the way into a coaching career that is about to enter its most challenging phase to date. For Lukas Kwasniok and Cologne, it appears an exciting season beckons in the Bundesliga big time.

bundesliga.com charts the rise of the 44-year-old tactician in five brief chapters ...

Polish origins 

Born in Gliwice, southern Poland, Kwasniok moved to Karlsruher with his family at a very young age. Prior to joining the Karlsruhe academy as a midfielder with great promise, he spoke fondly of visiting Cologne in those early years and marvelling at the city where he would one day go on to play an important role as coach of the much-cherished Billy Goats. 

"My great-grandmother lived here on the east bank of the Rhine, so I first encountered Cologne at the age of seven," the tactician explained. 

"As a child, you absorb your first emotions and experiences differently: I noticed a big difference between Karlsruher, where I grew up, and Cologne. I've been here a few times since then. Cologne has the size of a metropolis, but the friendliness of a village," Kwasniok added. "You'll receive a warm welcome and be embraced here."

Cruel twist 

Such was his rate of progression at Karlsruhe that Kwasniok was ear-marked for greatness. A versatile midfielder who was equally adept at playing in defence, strong leadership skills were also part of his repertoire. He captained the Germany U16 team as part of 18 youth games at international level.

Interest in him from other clubs grew and he was tempted to move to Arminia Bielefeld, mainly because that is where his brother was. "At the time, I only wanted to move with my brother Vojtek, so I went to Bielefeld," Kwasniok explained. 

Sadly, injury would put paid to Lukas Kwasniok's promising playing career. - Sven Leifer

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Just six months into a three-year deal with Die Blauen, injury began to plague the player. Damaged ligaments in both ankles and a groin tear would seriously hamper his development. "I developed an infection in my right ankle after an operation," Kwasniok recalled.

"Afterward, I travelled all over Germany and many different doctors gave me injections, but it took eight months before things got any better." A loan to Sandhausen followed, but, unfortunately, Kwasniok's playing career was slowing to the point where a premature end was in sight, and it would ultimately come in his early 20s. "That was terrible; I was done with football," he recalled. "It was more important to me to start an apprenticeship."   

A huge part of Kwasniok's coaching apprenticeship came at Karlsruhe. - imago sportfotodienst

Coaching lift-off 

Although believing he was "done with football," the game clearly wasn't done with Kwasniok. Following his apprenticeship in the civil service, he found himself in a coaching role with sixth-division side OSV Rastatt at 26. A return to Karlsruhe to take charge of the U17s and then the U19s followed.

By now, Kwasniok's passion for the game had clearly returned. Alongside his footballing duties, he studied for a DFB football coaching license and succeeded in obtaining first-class honours. It wasn't long before he was called into Karlsruhe head office to be handed the reins of the senior side on an interim basis.

Kwasniok (r.) celebrates with his Saarbrücken players after stunning Fortuna Düsseldorf. - Jan Huebner/Mohr via www.imago-i

Cup sensation, Paderborn success  

After a brief spell at Carl Zeiss Jena, Kwasniok was hired by FC Saarbrücken, then in the fourth division, in 2020. Taking his team to the top of the Regionalliga Südwest, the coach engineered a DFB Cup run for the ages.

On their way to becoming the first-ever fourth-tier side to reach the tournament's semi-finals, Saarbrücken knocked out Kwasniok's former side Karlsruhe, as well as Bundesliga teams Cologne and Fortuna Düsseldorf (in the top tier at the time) on the way to a last-four meeting with Champions League-chasing Bayer Leverkusen. The side from Saarland were eventually ousted by the Werkself, while Kwasniok's future lay at Paderborn. 

In four largely successful seasons at the Benteler-Arena, Kwasniok thrilled fans by playing his brave, attacking style of football. With the Polish-born coach in charge, Paderborn never finished outside the Bundesliga 2s top seven teams, even going agonisingly close to a play-off last season with a fourth-placed finish.

With five games to go before the end of the 2024/25 campaign, Kwasniok announced he would be taking a break from football to spend more time with his family. 

"Once in a lifetime"

However, when Cologne came calling offering the coach a chance to lead the German giants back into the Bundesliga, Kwasniok knew any extended break had to be put on hold. "There are moments in life when you can't say no," the new Billy-Goats boss said at his unveiling in June.

"I hadn't planned on getting married at 21 either – but when it happens, you have to do it," he added. "I saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Bundesliga is the goal of every coach [and] Cologne are one of the biggest clubs in Germany," he continued. "This could be a very good fit: an emotional coach and an emotional team."

About the clubs

1. FC Köln

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