In an official statement by the Bundesliga club on Sunday, it was confirmed that Bayer Leverkusen have sacked head coach Roger Schmidt with immediate effect.
After suffering a heavy 6-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, The Werkself and coach Schmidt parted ways. Leverkusen did not only lose their second game in a row but they also slumped to 10th place and 11 points off the UFEA Champions League spot.
“In the light of the current sportive development, and after a very detailed analysis and briefing, we have come to the conclusion that parting company is painful but it is unavoidable for the further development of Leverkusen,” chief executive Michael Schade said.
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The 49-year-old coach joined Leverkusen from FC Salzburg in April 2014, leading the Werkself three times into the Champions League’s group stage. Leverkusen posted 62 wins, 27 draws and 36 defeats in an overall 125 games under Schmidt.
“I consider Roger Schmidt to be an absolute top coach but we had to react now if we do not want to lose our goals out of sight,” Leverkusen’s sporting director Rudi Voeller said.
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Leverkusen club officials say they want to present a new head coach soon. Bayer Leverkusen is in 10th place in the Bundesliga standings. They meet Werder Bremen in the opener of the 24th round on Friday.
(With Inputs From Xinhua)
