Is Wagner coming?
© Imago
FC Augsburg exchanges its entire sporting leadership. The Bundesliga club separates after a seasonal analysis of coach Jess Thorup and sports director Marinko Jurendic. This was announced by the Augsburgers on Friday. The Swabians had ended the season early without relegation, but after a series of defeats did not end in the dreamy European Cup, but ended in twelve (Augsburg’s season in numbers).
Anyone who replaced Thorup, who took over the FCA in October 2023, and Jurendic, who came from FC Zurich in the summer of 2023, is still unclear. “The FCA will inform the successor as soon as decisions are made,” the association said. Finally, it was speculated that Sandro Wagner could follow the Danes Thorup.
Wagner, who, as a co-coach of the national team after the National League finals at the beginning of June, would like to be head coach in the Bundesliga promptly would be a big surprise coup. Thorup’s contract ran until June 30, 2026.
“We would like to thank Jess Thorup for his commitment in the past two years for FC Augsburg. Jess has fully identified with the FCA at all times and stabilized us in the past two years. The decision has been anything but easy for us,” explained Managing Director Michael Ströll. “However, after intensive processing and trusting conversations, we came to the conclusion of making a change in the position of the head coach for the further development and orientation of our association.”
Under Thorup far too much gray mouse
Before this season, Ströll had expressed the desire to finally take the image of the gray mouse in its 14th Bundesliga season. Ströll wants a little more glamor, more radiance, more trust in their own plants and more attractive football. A positive outlier upwards such as in Mainz should also be possible in Augsburg.
As in the season 2023/24, when five defeats in the final spurt cost an international starting place, FC Augsburg is now collapsing. Now after a long outstanding second half of the season, which Thorup’s team even temporarily sniffed at the European Cup places, four defeats in the final sprint.
A popular trainer has to go in Thorup in Augsburg. The Dane, which was so facing the people in this way, had taken over the Fuggerstädter from Enrico Maassen in October 2023. However, he was unable to convey an intoxicating playing style to the team and instead relied on a defensive approach. At least so FC Augsburg had nothing to do with the descent. The new trainer should now make the team appear much more attractive. There will also be a new sports director. “We have brought a lot together in the past two years. However, after weighing up all aspects, we have come to the conclusion that we are reorganizing in the sporting leadership,” said Ströll.