After Maaßen’s dismissal at FC Augsburg: Breitenreiter and Co. traded

Weakest average since 1995

FC Augsburg has parted ways with head coach Enrico Maaßen and made the first coaching replacement in the 61st season of the Bundesliga (background). Until a new head coach is hired, the team will be looked after on an interim basis by football teacher and U23 coach Tobias Strobl, and speculation about a successor is already underway.

FCA managing director Michael Ströll said: “We have (…) come to the conclusion that a change in the coaching position is necessary in order to bring about a turnaround after the developments of the past few weeks.” According to information from “Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung“Sports director Marinko Jurendic may soon present a successor. Accordingly, the following candidates are being traded for the task in Augsburg:

André Breitenreiter: With the 50-year-old as head coach and jurendic in management, FC Zurich became champions in Switzerland last year. Breitenreiter then moved to TSG Hoffenheim, but was released there at the beginning of February.

Ralph Hasenhüttl: The former Leipzig coach from Austria would also be free; he was most recently a coach in England at FC Southampton for four years. “It is difficult to say whether the 56-year-old would actually be interested in joining FCA. He could be attracted by being close to home, but he would have to make compromises on his salary,” the newspaper wrote.

Stefan Kuntz: The former U21 national coach has also been free as coach of the Turkish selection since his release. The 60-year-old has already proven through his successes with Germany’s U21s that he can celebrate success with young professionals. With Finn Dahmen, Niklas Dorsch and Arne Maier, Kuntz became the celebrated U21 European champion in 2021, and the trio is now part of the Augsburg squad. There is also a direct relationship with FCA consultant Stefan Reuter, with whom Kuntz won the European Championship title in England in 1996.

Frank Kramer: The 51-year-old also knows how to work with a young team. Kramer trained U national teams at the German Football Association (DFB) and headed the youth performance center at RB Salzburg. As a native of Memmingen, the former Bielefeld and Schalke coach even brings a certain amount of local experience with him.

Maaßen sacked in Augsburg: weakest points average since 1995

“I am of course disappointed about this decision because I am convinced that together we would have managed the turnaround,” Maaßen said about his dismissal. “I am grateful to FCA and those responsible for giving me the opportunity to work in the Bundesliga and I wish FCA all the best for the future, especially that the foundation we have laid together leads to success .”

With 0.95 points from 44 competitive games, the 39-year-old has the weakest points average for an FCA coach since 1995 (statistics). took over from Markus Weinzierl in Augsburg in the summer of 2022. He was supposed to give the club a clear football profile again after he had previously made a name for himself as a developer and sponsor of young players in the third division with Borussia Dortmund’s second team. But in Augsburg he didn’t go beyond approaches and isolated highlights such as a home win against FC Bayern Munich last season.

The team, which was extensively rebuilt and rejuvenated again in the summer, initially showed offensive progress on the first matchdays. But the defense under Maaßen was not ready for the Bundesliga. In the end, five points were not enough.

“After the first seven games of the season and the home defeat against Darmstadt, we took the necessary time to shed light on the current sporting situation and the developments of our team. After open discussions with Enrico Maaßen, we have come to the conclusion that we need to make a change in the position of head coach. “Unfortunately, despite great commitment and intensive work, Enno and the team did not manage to break the trend and successfully bring the desired development onto the pitch,” said Jurendic, ultimately justifying the step.

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