Marcel Koller

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Marcel Koller
Personal information
Full name	Marcel Koller
Date of birth	November 11, 1960 (1960-11-11) (age 47)
Place of birth	Zürich, Switzerland
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position	Manager (former Defender)
Club information
Current club	VfL Bochum
Youth clubs
1972-1980	Grasshopper-Club Zürich
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1980-1997	Grasshopper-Club Zürich	? (?)
National team
?-1996	Switzerland	56 (3)
Teams managed
1997-1998 1998-2001 2002-2003 2003-2004 2005-	FC Wil FC St. Gallen Grasshopper-Club Zürich 1. FC Köln VfL Bochum
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Marcel Koller (born in Zürich, November 11, 1960) is a former Swiss football (soccer) player and is currently the coach of German football club VfL Bochum.

Contents 1 As player 2 In Switzerland 3 At 1. FC Köln 4 At VfL Bochum

[edit] As player

Koller played all 24 years of his career for Swiss club Grasshoppers Zürich . He won five Swiss championships and seven Swiss cups. For the Swiss national team he got 56 international caps, scored 3 goals and participated at Euro 1996.

[edit] In Switzerland

Koller's career as coach started the Swiss club FC Wil in the season 1997/98. He led his club to a promotion place in the Challenge League. (The second league in Switzerland). In January 1999 he went to FC St.Gallen in the Swiss Super League. (The highest league in Switzerland). Koller led this club to its first championship for almost 100 years in 2000. FC St.Gallen eliminated FC Chelsea in the Uefa Cup. Koller was voted Swiss trainer of the year 2000.

On January 9th, 2002, he went to his old love Grasshoppers Zürich . Koller won his second championship as coach in 2003. After a losing streak of five matches he resigned as coach immediately after a lost match against his former club FC Wil on October, 3rd 2003.

[edit] At 1. FC Köln

The next step in his career was a move to German Bundesliga. Koller's first station in Germany was 1. FC Köln. He coached this club from November, 2nd 2003 till June, 14th 2004 but couldn't prevent them from degradation to the Second Bundesliga. In his period as coach he gave young talents the opportunity to debut on the highest level. So he is widely seen as the discoverer of German player Lukas Podolski. 1. FC Köln ended at last position and Koller was given leave.

[edit] At VfL Bochum

Since May, 23th 2005 Marcel Koller is coach of German side VfL Bochum. The club was relegated into the Second Bundesliga and its coach Peter Neururer was sacked after that season. Koller got the challenge to lead the club directly back to the highest level. Already five matches before the end of the season VfL Bochum was sure of its return to the Bundesliga.

The goal of season 2006/07 was to maintain in the Bundesliga. VfL Bochum didn’t start very well and many supporters asked for the dismissal for the coach. But the board kept faith in the coach and Koller’s contract was even extended in that difficult period. VfL Bochum bought a few new players in the winter break and started a winning streak. The club won two memorable home matches against the arch rivals Borussia Dortmund (2-0) and FC Schalke 04. (2-1). Bochum even had at the end of the season a winning streak of four away victories in a row, which formed a new club record. Already two rounds for the end of the season VfL Bochum was sure of staying in the Bundesliga. The club ended on the 8th rank, what the third highest placement ever was.

The VfL Bochum lost three important players in the summer break 2007. So the goal for the season 2007/08 is again consolidation in the Bundesliga again as early as possible.

Preceded by Peter Neururer

VfL Bochum Manager 2005-

Succeeded by none

v • d • e 1. FC Köln – Managers Knöpfle (1963–64) • Multhaup (1966–68) • Merkle (1968–70) • Ocwirk (1970–71) • Lóránt (1971–72) • Herings (1972) • Schlott (1972–73) • Čajkovski (1973–75) • Stollenwerk (1976) • Weisweiler (1976–80) • Heddergott (1980) • Herings (1980) • Michels (1980–83) • Löhr (1983–86) • Keßler (1986) • Daum (1986–90) • Rutemöller (1990–91) • Lattek (1991) • Linssen (1991) • Berger (1991–93) • Jerat (1993) • Olsen (1993–95) • Engels (1995–96) • Neururer (1996–97) • Köstner (1997–98) • Schuster (1998–99) • Lienen (1999–2002) • John (2002) • Funkel (2002–03) • Luhukay (2003) • Koller (2003–04) • Stevens (2004–05) • Rapolder (2005–06) • Latour (2006) • Gehrke (2006) • Daum (2006–)

v • d • e VfL Bochum – Managers Eppenhoff (1967–72) • Höher (1972–79) • Johannsen (1979–81) • Schafstall (1981–86) • Gerland (1986–88) • Tenhagen (1988–89) • Saftig (1989–91) • Schafstall (1991) • Osieck (1991–92) • Gelsdorf (1992–94) • Toppmöller (1994–99) • Middendorp (1999) • Dietz (1999) • Zumdick (1999–2001) • Schafstall (2001) • Dietz (2001) • Neururer (2001–05) • Koller (2005–)

v • d • e VfL Bochum – current squad 1 Heerwagen • 2 Concha • 3 Meichelbeck • 4 Maltritz • 5 Dabrowski • 6 Drsek • 7 Bechmann • 8 Zdebel • 9 Šesták • 10 Epalle • 11 Mięciel • 13 Fuchs • 14 Auer • 15 Imhof • 16 Sand • 17 Byelik • 18 Schröder • 19 Grote • 20 Mavraj • 21 Pfertzel • 22 Azaouagh • 23 Ono • 24 Bönig • 25 Yahia • 26 Schmidtgal • 27 Laštůvka • 28 Zajas • 30 Fabian • 31 Renno • 35 Gündogan • Coach: Koller