Friedhelm Funkel (born 10 December 1953) is a German football manager and former player. He was most recently the head coach Bundesliga club of 1. FC Köln.

Coaching career MSV Duisburg Funkel was manager of MSV Duisburg between 13 May 1996 and 24 March 2000. During his tenure, Funkel guided the club through one of its more stable periods in the Bundesliga era. In his first full season in charge, he achieved promotion to the Bundesliga by finishing second in the 1995–96 2. Bundesliga campaign.

One of the highlights of his spell at Duisburg came in the 1997–98 Bundesliga season, when the team finished in 9th place, their best league position in decades. That same season, Funkel led Duisburg to the final of the DFB-Pokal, where they were narrowly defeated 2–1 by Bayern Munich. His tactical discipline and focus on team cohesion were widely credited for the club's success during this period.

Funkel's tenure came to an end in March 2000, following a string of disappointing results. He finished with an overall record of 56 wins, 47 draws, and 59 losses. Despite the mixed results toward the end, Funkel's time at Duisburg is often remembered as one of the more competitive and consistent phases in the club's modern history.

F.C. Hansa Rostock He was manager of Hansa Rostock from 19 September 2000 to 1 December 2001. He finished with a record of 13 wins, 10 draws, and 22 losses.

1. FC Köln He was manager of 1. FC Köln from 14 February 2002 to 30 October 2003. He finished with a record of 29 wins, 15 draws, and 19 losses.

Eintracht Frankfurt Funkel coached Eintracht Frankfurt from 2004 to 2009. He was subsequently released from his contract on 1 July 2009. He led the club into the Bundesliga in his first season in charge. One year later, he and the team avoided relegation and surprisingly reached the DFB-Pokal final, which eventually sent them to the UEFA Cup.

Tied with Erich Ribbeck, Funkel holds the record for the longest tenure at Eintracht, with five full seasons. He finished with a record of 70 wins, 50 draws, and 74 losses.

Hertha BSC On 3 October 2009, Hertha BSC introduced Funkel as their new head coach after having fired Lucien Favre. After Hertha was relegated, Funkel and the club mutually agreed to not extend his contract. He finished with a record of seven wins, 10 draws, and 16 losses.

VfL Bochum On 22 May 2010, he was named new coach of VfL Bochum. His first match was a 3–0 loss to Kickers Offenbach in the first round of the German Cup. He got sacked on 14 September 2011. His final match was a 2–1 loss to Dynamo Dresden. He finished with a record of 21 wins, eight draws, and 16 losses.

Alemannia Aachen On 20 September 2011, Funkel took over the job as manager of Alemannia Aachen. Funkel was dismissed of his job on 1 April 2012, after a streak of five consecutive losses. He finished with a record of three wins, eight draws, and nine losses in 20 matches.

TSV 1860 Munich On 7 September 2013, he was named new coach of 1860 Munich. His first match in–charge was a 0–0 draw against VfR Aalen on 13 September 2013. On 2 April 2014, 1860 Munich announced that Funkel is going to leave the club after the season because of "different conceptual views on the orientation in sport." However, 1860 München sacked Funkel on 6 April 2014 after losing to Karlsruher SC 3–0 at home earlier in the day. He finished with a record of seven wins, eight draws, and nine losses in 24 matches.

Fortuna Düsseldorf Funkel was appointed as the new head coach of Fortuna Düsseldorf on 14 March 2016. He was sacked on 29 January 2020 after six losses in his last eight matches.

Return to 1. FC Köln Funkel was reappointed as the new head coach of 1. FC Köln on 11 April 2021 for the remainder of the 2020–21 season.

1. FC Kaiserslautern On 14 February 2024, he was signed by 1. FC Kaiserslautern. His first match took place on 18 February 2024 against 1. FC Nürnberg which ended 1–1. One game before the season ended, the club announced that his contract will end on 30 June 2024.

Second return to 1. FC Köln In May 2025, he returned to Köln for a second time. He eventually led the club to achieve the 2024–25 2. Bundesliga title and secure promotion back to the Bundesliga. However, he decided to depart the club at the end of the season.

Personal life Funkel has two children. He is the older brother of Wolfgang Funkel.

Career statistics Club ClubSeasonLeagueDFB-PokalEuropeTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsVfR Neuss1972–73Verbandsliga Niederrhein2815——2815Bayer Uerdingen1973–74Regionalliga West2162161974–752. Bundesliga38132040131975–76Bundesliga315003151976–772. Bundesliga38176144181977–7838252040251978–7938115543161979–80Bundesliga3414323714Totals23891188—25699—1. FC Kaiserslautern1980–81Bundesliga3113734Appearances in the UEFA Cup.242181981–8224101010535151982–831111010131Totals6624931579034—Bayer Uerdingen1983–84Bundesliga331550—38151984–8531114135121985–86302108Appearances in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.33951986–8729830513791987–8827240—3121988–89302203221989–90900090Totals1894019113422145—Career totals52117046122811595193—

Managerial

TeamFromToRecordBayer Uerdingen3 June 199113 May 1996 MSV Duisburg13 May 199619 March 2000Hansa Rostock19 September 20001 December 20011. FC Köln14 February 200230 October 2003Eintracht Frankfurt1 July 200430 June 2009Hertha BSC3 October 200930 June 2010VfL Bochum22 May 201014 September 2011Alemannia Aachen19 September 20111 April 20121860 Munich7 September 20136 April 2014Fortuna Düsseldorf14 March 201629 January 20201. FC Köln11 April 202130 June 20211. FC Kaiserslautern14 February 202430 June 20241. FC Köln5 May 202523 May 2025 Total—

Honours Player Bayer Uerdingen DFB-Pokal: 1984–85

Manager 1. FC Köln 2. Bundesliga: 2024–25

References

External links

Friedhelm Funkel at eintracht-archiv.de