Arminia Bielefeld’s Uli Forte: 14th new coach in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga changed early

Between 1981 and 2022

“Taking into account all impressions and discussions, we lacked the conviction that we could be successful in the existing constellation,” said Samir Arabi, Sporting Director of Arminia Bielefeld, about the change of coach after only four matchdays in the 2nd Bundesliga. Uli Forte, who was only brought from Switzerland in the summer, had to go again. A look at the Transfermarkt database shows that the 48-year-old Italian is not alone in this – dismissing coaches so early is not a new trend. From 1981 to the present there have been 14 trainers, including forte, who were exchanged just a few weeks after taking office. This was not always due to sporting or technical reasons.

Most recently, this was the case with André Schubert and Holstein Kiel after six match days and the first round of the 2019/20 cup. The signing of the now 51-year-old turned out to be a misunderstanding for the “storks” – Ole Werner successfully took over from Schubert. Like Forte after four match days, two coaches were replaced: Elmar Wienecke after four bankruptcies in 1990 at Schweinfurt 05 and Jos Luhukay after an unsatisfactory start to the season with two wins from four games at Bundesliga relegated VfB Stuttgart in 2016.

At that time, the Dutchman decided to resign on his own, because he did not see the basis for a successful cooperation. Because: According to the football teacher, there was no “uniform line from all those responsible for sport in the composition and management of the sporting area and unrestricted trust in my work by those responsible for the club.” There had previously been a rift with the then sports director Jan Schindelmeiser.

Only two league games on the sidelines: “Record” for Letsch and Vasic

After only two matchdays, the coaches were “gone” in 2017 at Erzgebirge Aue and ten years earlier at SV Wehen Wiesbaden. The “Veilchen” and Thomas Letsch lost three competitive games, two of them in the league. Aside from that, as reported by the “Kurier”, the current coach of Vitesse Arnhem is said to have lost a power struggle with his assistant coach at the time, Robin Lenk, son-in-law of club boss Helge Leonhardt, in terms of game philosophy. Ex-labor coach Djuradj Vasic even won 3-2 away in the league on matchday one at TSG Hoffenheim. When he was released, the club stated that Vasics was dealing with the players, the coaching team and a lack of understanding of the team.

SC Freiburg is not really known for its many coach changes. In August 1989, however, Lorenz-Günther Köstner had to go after six second division games with four wins and the cup round against Union Solingen – average score of 2.14. Or, like Luhukay at VfB, he decided to resign. The reason is said to have been atmospheric disturbances with the team.

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