SpVgg Greuther Fürth has reacted to the sporting crisis and, according to media reports, has separated from coach Thomas Kleine. The successor starts directly with the Frankenderby against 1. FC Nürnberg.
What had already been indicated after the 3-0 defeat against VfL Bochum on Saturday is now a done deal. According to consistent media reports, SpVgg Greuther Fürth is releasing its coach Thomas Kleine. Kleine’s assistant coaches Milorad Pekovic and Marco Konrad also have to go. An official confirmation from the club is still pending.
The cloverleaf has only managed one win from its last nine games in the 2nd Bundesliga and slipped into a relegation zone for the first time this season due to victories from the competition. With just thirteen points after 14 games, the game association is threatened with relegation to the 3rd league.
Little-off after just six months
The 47-year-old Kleine took over the Fürth team as interim coach in May 2025 after Jan Siewert was fired. He celebrated a decent debut with a draw and a win at the end of the season and thus managed to stay in the league with the cloverleaf.
Sports director Stephan Fürstner then hired Kleine as head coach for the new season. After a win at the start of the season against Dresden, the game association was recently spiraling towards the relegation zone, which is why those responsible were forced to act after only 18 games under Kleine.
Fürth is the league’s shooting gallery
After 0:3 against Bochum last Saturday, in which the game association gave up the game in the opening quarter of an hoursports director Fürstner had avoided making a commitment to Kleine. “We all have to ask ourselves whether we are doing everything we can week after week, drawing the right conclusions, training the right things, because things cannot continue like this.” Now it’s no longer possible for Kleine, whose defense was particularly fatal. With 37 goals conceded, Fürth is the league’s shooting gallery.
The successor starts with the Frankenderby
In addition to Kleine, his assistants Milorad Pekovic and Marco Konrad have also been released with immediate effect. Little’s successor, who has not yet been announced, will make his debut in the Frankenderby against 1. FC Nürnberg next Sunday.
Source: BR24Sport 12/01/2025 – 1:54 p.m
