Tanko parts ways with FC Cologne

Ex-national star Ibrahim Tanko has parted ways with German side FC Cologne after serving as an assistant coach.

Tanko, 34, served as one of the assistant trainers of the FC Cologne side last season which saw the Club being relegated from the top flight alongside FC Kaiserslautern and Hertha Berlin.

Information gathered by GNA Sports has it that the ex-Black Stars forward, who made the headlines as the first African to rise to that position in the history of the Bundesliga was relieved of his post together with head coach, Stale Solbakken (Norway) few weeks ago following the teams unfamiliar performance.

GNA Sports can reliably confirm that Holger Stanislawski is now Manager of FC Cologne with Andre Trulsen, Klaus-Peter Nemet and Alexander Bade as his assistants.

After briefly serving as a scout, Tanko was elevated to the number two position and was at one time in charge of the FC Cologne first team, when his mentor Volke Finke quit at the end of June 2011.

The FC Cologne job was the third for the soft-spoken Tanko, after serving in similar roles at Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) and his former club SC Freiburg (Germany).

Currently unattached, Tanko, a UEFA License 'A' holder is reported to be pursuing the UEFA Pro License, the highest coaching qualification recognized in Europe and the rest of the world.

Until recently, the 34-year-old graduate of Kumasi-based King Faisal FC was linked to the Black Stars job following the exit of Serbian Goran Stevanovic, as well as to Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC.

Tanko featured for German sides Borussia Dortmund and SC Freiburg during his active playing career between 1994 and 2007.

He holds the record of the youngest winner of the Bundesliga title, a feat he achieved with Borussia Dortmund during the 1995/1996 season, aged 17years and 327 days.**