The Robert Klauß era at second division club 1. FC Nürnberg is over. The club struggled with the dismissal, but is already negotiating with a potential successor.
The way of the steady hand, which is historically rather unusual for 1. FC Nürnberg, has at least been interrupted for the time being. The board pulled after an extremely poor performance at 0: 3 in Karlsruhe – not the first this season – the ripcord. Coach Robert Klauss has to go.
Sports director Dieter Hecking, who has so far stood for a long-term strategy of continuity and who recently spoke out in favor of Klauss and a sustainable path at FCN, had to realize that the team urgently needs new impetus in order not to slip even deeper into the mess. Six defeats in ten games, a disappointing 14th place in the table and just one point ahead of the relegation zone – that was too much.
Appearance of the team “no longer acceptable”
“We regret this decision, but it was unavoidable,” Hecking wrote on the club’s website. And with every sentence it becomes clear how difficult the club has made this decision.
“Robert has done a good job here for more than two seasons. However, the development in the past few weeks has not been satisfactory at all. The way the team played in Karlsruhe, but also in a few games before, was unacceptable. We would all have been happy if we could have continued on our path of continuity combined with successful games.”
Season 2021/22 gave hope – squad optimization fizzled out
Klauß, whose contract was only extended until 2023 in May, took over the club before the 2020/21 season and led it to a midfield position. Last season, the Franconians even had the chance to play for promotion for a long time, in the end they finished eighth.
What was missing to attack at the top was quickly identified in the summer: a clipper. So the club invested in its attacking line, brought in fresh offensive forces with Christoph Daferner from Dynamo Dresden, Manuel Wintzheimer from Hamburger SV and Kwadwo Duah (FC St. Gallen), but success was not forthcoming.
Longest tenure since Michael Oenning
But Robert Klauß, for whom Nuremberg was the first station in professional football, was unable to advance the team in terms of play and tactics.
After all: Since Michael Oenning (2009 to 2012), no coach has been in office and dignity at the Valznerweiher for so long. But Hecking’s steady hand failed for the time being. Now the sports director has to look for a successor, preferably a long-term one. However, time is short: Holstein Kiel will already be guests at the Max Morlock Stadium at the weekend.
Hecking: Fixed on one candidate
“We had several candidates, but we decided on one,” Hecking said at a media round on Monday. “I have someone in mind who we are also in talks with.” The Franconian second division soccer team also wants to come to an agreement quickly with the external solution.
According to “Bild”, it should be the former Regensburg, Augsburg and Schalke coach Markus Weinzierl. Whoever it will be: Klauß’s successor should look after the team next Sunday (1.30 p.m.) in the home game against Kiel. “We are working flat out on the successor,” emphasized Hecking. “We’re trying to come up with a solution as soon as possible.”
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Source: BR24 Sport 03.10.2022 – 3:15 p.m
