Already agreed with a successor? Bundesliga club reportedly give coach a drastic ultimatum

As Express claim to have learned, Effzeh are already preparing to part ways with Wagner. The move is said to have followed a committee meeting. If Cologne lose their home game against local rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach on 11 October after the XXL international break, the 38-year-old will be relieved of his duties.

According to the report, Cologne have already lined up Horst Steffen as his successor. The club have already reached an agreement with the unemployed coach, most recently at SV Werder Bremen. The 57-year-old is also said to have been at the Geißbockheim on Saturday to watch the reserve side beat VfB Hilden 4-3. He may also already have held talks with the club's decision-makers around managing director Thomas Kessler during the visit.

Wagner took over on an interim basis from Lukas Kwasniok in Cologne in March before the club promoted him to head coach. So far, though, his record has been more than sobering: across eleven Bundesliga matches spanning two seasons, his team have managed only two wins. This season, they at least have four points on the board after four matchdays.

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A Wagner exit would make him the second managerial casualty of the season, after Gladbach recently parted company with Eugen Polanski. In Cologne, his successor Alexander Blessin will celebrate his debut for the Foals.

Steffen, meanwhile, was sacked as Werder coach last season after 21 matches and an average of 0.9 points per game, before Daniel Thioune took over. A year earlier, as coach of SV Elversberg, Steffen had only just missed out on promotion. At the time, 1. FC Heidenheim came through the relegation play-off against the provincial club from Saarland, who are now in the top flight.