Stoger commits to Cologne with new deal

Cologne coach Peter Stoger and assistant Manfred Schmid have extended their contracts with the club until June 2020.

The pair were initially handed new deals at the RheinEnergieStadion in July 2014 after guiding Cologne back into the Bundesliga following a two-year absence.

Stoger and Schmid kept Cologne up with a 12th-placed finish last term and they sit ninth ahead of the Bundesliga's return this weekend.

Having extended Stoger and Schmid's stay by three years, Cologne welcome struggling Stuttgart on Saturday, with the coach describing it as an easy decision.

"It all fits, so I did not have to think long," he told the club's official website. "I feel extremely comfortable in a great club and a great city.

"I appreciate the co-operation of the management and the board and of course with our team and the entire staff.

"Together we want to continue the path as successfully as possible. I am grateful for their confidence in my work. This is a great incentive for daily work and gives me huge joy."