After the defeat against Union Berlin, VfB Stuttgart reacted to the winless series and released coach Pellegrino Matarazzo. The Swabians confirmed this on Monday evening.
Matarazzo’s contract would have run until 2024. A successor was not initially named. It is still unclear who will sit on the bench in the basement duel with bottom team VfL Bochum on Saturday (3:30 p.m.).
Still without a win this Bundesliga season
Under Matarazzo there have been five draws and four defeats in nine Bundesliga games this season so far, and the last three matches have been lost.
Mislintat: “We are convinced that the breakup is inevitable”
“After an in-depth analysis of last season, when, as we know, we were only able to secure relegation at the last minute, we started the new season with high hopes. Unfortunately, the results so far have not lived up to these hopes. We have now reached a point where where we are convinced that the separation from Rino is inevitable,” said VfB sporting director Sven Mislintat.
YouTube video from SWR Sport: “Matarazzo released – successor not yet determined – DEIN VfB#42 | SWR Sport”
“VfB owes a lot to Pellegrino Matarazzo,” said CEO Alexander Wehrle. He met Mislintat and the club’s new agent, Sami Khedira, at the club’s premises on Monday. “Ultimately, however, we have come to the conclusion that a change in the coaching position is necessary to reverse the trend after the negative results of the past few weeks.”
Matarazzo: “I’ll be forever grateful”
“Our journey together at VfB is coming to an end,” said Matarazzo himself. “These were intense and wonderful years with many incredible moments and memories that will stay with me forever. For the opportunity that was given to me here to gain a foothold in the coaching business , I will be eternally grateful.”
In January 2020, Matarazzo took over the then second-class Swabians as successor to Tim Walter and led VfB back into the Bundesliga. In his first Bundesliga season he reached ninth place in the table with Stuttgart. In the following season, VfB saved themselves on the last matchday to 15th place in the table and prevented the third relegation in six years.
