Markus Fiedler takes over: Youngest coach in FCM history!

Markus Fiedler takes over: Youngest coach in FCM history!

Things often happen quickly in the football business, and so on June 23, 2025, the move from Christian Titz to Markus Fiedler as coach of 1. FC Magdeburg was officially announced. Titz, who has been on the sidelines since February 2021 and helped the club stay in the 2nd Bundesliga and a respectable 5th place last season, is now moving on to Hannover 96. He will receive a two-year contract there and his long-time assistant coach André Kilian will accompany him. Titz expressed gratitude for the responsibility entrusted to him at FCM, and Managing Director Sport, Otmar Schork, confirmed that Titz had expressed a desire for change. After 1,581 days in Magdeburg, he leaves the team in a solid condition.

Interesting facts are circulating about the new coach Markus Fiedler. Fiedler, 15 years his junior, who previously looked after the second team at VfB Stuttgart and was promoted to the 3rd league with them, will lead his first training session at FCM on the same day. Fiedler, who previously coached various VfB youth teams, now has the opportunity to bring a breath of fresh air into the proceedings at 1. FC Magdeburg. It is also noteworthy that the appointment of a coach under the age of 40 at FCM has been a rarity in recent times. The youngest coach in the club's history is Joachim Streich, who took over the position in 1985 at the age of 34 and has an impressive record. Streich led the team for five years and reached third place in his final season.

A look at the coaching history

Markus Fiedler joins a list of young coaches who have been hired by the FCM. At 36 years old, Klaus Urbanczyk was the second youngest coach before Claus Kreul took over in 1983 at the age of 38. Urbanczyk ensured that the FCM won the FDGB Cup in 1978 and 1979. Kreul also led the team to notable placings in the championship and won another cup title. The last coach who only stayed for a short time was Ronny Thielemann, who was fired in 2011 during a difficult period with only two wins in 14 games.

Coach changes are not uncommon in football, especially when things don't go as planned. Scientific studies, such as those by Sebastian Zart at the TU Kaiserslautern, show mixed results regarding the effects of coaching changes. Around half of these studies prove a positive influence, while the other half cannot confirm this. Zart and his colleague Arne Güllich conducted a comprehensive analysis of 4,000 games, and the results indicate that a change of coach often leads to a short-term increase in performance. This effect can last up to 16 games after the switch. Dissatisfaction within the team often plays a role, which can be overcome with a new coach.

Markus Fiedler now has the task of picking up the momentum of the last successful years under Titz and moving the team further forward. Expectations are high and the first impression in his debut training session will be crucial in gaining the trust of the players and setting the course for the coming season.