FC Utrecht fires trainer Michael Silberbauer after dramatic start to the season | Dutch football

FC Utrecht has had a bad start to the season with three defeats in just as many matches. As a result, the club is joint last in the premier league. Last Sunday, Michael Silberbauer’s team suffered a 1-0 defeat at PEC Zwolle. The way in which this happened was especially remarkable. The players looked downright uninspired. Telling statistics, yesterday afternoon, after a rather listless performance by his team: in terms of expected goals, FC Utrecht ‘scored’ the figure 0.06. In other words: slightly more than zero.

Added to the previous defeats against PSV and SC Heerenveen, Silberbauer has now become fatal. Players and management no longer had confidence in the Dane, who succeeded Henk Fraser who was sent away last winter break. Silberbauer is accused, among other things, of not communicating properly.

Nevertheless, captain Nick Viergever stepped into the breach for him after the duel in Zwolle. “The coach is preparing us well. It’s not his fault,” he said. We just don’t bring enough ourselves, so we have to point to ourselves. Every individual can do better than he has shown now. We have to be self-critical.”

In 2008, Silberbauer started as a player in the Domstad. As a midfielder, he made 113 appearances for the club. He was captain during, among other things, the successful European campaign of the 2010/2011 vintage. Later he served as an assistant coach to FC Luzern, FC Basel, FC Utrecht and FC Midtjylland. To later work as head coach at the Canadian Pacific FC. So last January he landed as head coach in Galgenwaard.

FC Utrecht is now looking for a new head coach. Assistant Rob Penders will take over the duties for the time being.