After a disappointing start to the season, FC Augsburg became the first Bundesliga club to dismiss its coach in the 2023/24 season. Enrico Maaßen was released with immediate effect.
According to the club, sports director Marinko Jurendic and managing director Michael Ströll personally informed the 39-year-old of the decision on Monday evening (October 9, 2023). U23 coach Tobias Strobl will look after the team until a new head coach is hired. The Augsburg team will play their next competitive game after the international break on October 22, 2023 against the second Bundesliga promoted team 1. FC Heidenheim (5.30 p.m.).
“I am of course disappointed about this decision because I am convinced that together we would have achieved a turnaround,” Maaßen is quoted as saying in a press release. The sports management saw it differently. “After open discussions with Enrico Maaßen, we came to the conclusion that we need to make a change in the position of head coach,” explained Jurendic.
Only two wins from 19 games
With five points, FCA is in 15th place after the 7th matchday of the Bundesliga. Most recently there was a 1:2 at home against newly promoted SV Darmstadt 98. Across all seasons, the club had only won two of the last 19 competitive games under Maaßen. In the first round of the DFB Cup, Augsburg failed against third division promoted team SpVgg Unterhaching.
Maaßen only came to the Bundesliga club in the summer of 2022 as the successor to Markus Weinzierl from third division club Borussia Dortmund II. In his first season he kept Augsburg in 15th place in the league. Since promotion in 2011, FC Augsburg has been consistently in the Bundesliga.