FCA make changes among coaching and backroom staff
Marco Langner joins as goalkeeping coach
FC Augsburg’s 2024/25 pre-season begins on Thursday with performance tests. Ahead of the first team training session on Monday, 8th July, the club have made a number of changes among their coaching and backroom staff.
Following assistant coach Jonas Scheuermann’s move to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, head coach Jess Thorup will now be supported by assistants Jacob Friis and Lars Knudsen. While Friis already worked alongside Thorup last season, previous set-piece coach Knudsen’s responsibilities have now been expanded and his contract extended. Set-piece specialist Lars Knudsen, who was part of Denmark’s coaching setup for EURO 2024, will continue to take care of training for set plays.
Experienced goalkeeper joins coaching setup
There is a new face in the coaching team in the form of experienced goalkeeping coach Marco Langner. The 55-year-old from Würzburg, who has already worked in the Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart, SC Freiburg and Werder Bremen, as well as for Würzburger Kickers and most recently Jahn Regensburg, replaced Marco Kostmann, whose contract expired at the end of last season.
Coaching changes strengthen integration with FCA academy
There is also a change in the video- and match-analysis department. Benedikt Brust will be joined by 29-year-old Felix Kling, who goes from assistant coach and match analyst for the U23s to the second full-time match analyst in the first-team coaching setup. The former FCA youth player, who has been associated with the U23s since 2017, will continue to support the Regionalliga side with his expertise. Kling’s new role will see him take over the duties of Remigius Elert, who will be assuming another position within the club. The pathway for young goalkeepers to progress to the first team has also been strengthened. Tomas Tomic, academy goalkeeping coordinator and U23 goalkeeping coach, will attend first team sessions and – together with Marco Langner – provide bespoke support for goalkeeping prospects to help prepare them for the highest level.
Christian Hahn, currently fitness lead at the academy, is another longstanding member of staff who will be joining the first team, giving extensive support to the pros’ athletic department while continuing to be responsible for the academy’s fitness programmes.
Ablass to join medical department
Due to the recent departure of physiotherapist Michael Schweika, Alexander Ablass has been drafted in to support the first team’s physiotherapy department on a temporary basis. The long-standing head physiotherapist for the youth teams, who runs his own practice a short distance from the Paul Renz Academy, is no stranger to the first team, having been with them at previous training camps and provided matchday aftercare.
“We believe these adjustments will put us in a good position to prepare for the coming season. It is important to us that our backroom staff optimally complement and support each other in terms of skills. A key focus has been ensuring even closer integration with our young talent, which will also simplify the process of moving from the academy to the first team,” says FCA sporting director Marinko Jurendic. “We are confident that we have a very good framework in place for our staff to continue to work successfully and develop our players in the best way we can.”
