Magath sacked
March 16, 2011
Bundesliga side Schalke 04 on Wednesday dismissed their coach and manager Felix Magath. The decision was taken at a supervisory board meeting at which Magath failed to appear.
"From the club's perspective, there are very good reasons for this decision," Clemens Tönnies, head of the supervisory board said on the club's website. "This decision is a good result for Schalke."
Magath's sacking comes despite the fact that Schalke are now Germany's only representative left in the Champions League. The team booked its place in the quarter-finals last week with a 3-1 win over Spain's Valencia.
Poor Bundesliga showing
Yet Schalke's performance in the German soccer league has been disappointing this season.
Despite a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, the team currently stands at number 10 in the Bundesliga table. Magath joined Schalke in July 2009 with an eye on winning the title.
The experienced coach has won the Bundesliga trophy with both Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich.
According to German media, the new Schalke coach could be Ralf Rangnick, formerly coach with success story Hoffenheim. Rangnick already had a brief stint at Schalke between 2004 and 2005.
Author: Andreas Illmer (dpa, apn)
Editor: Nancy Isenson