BERLIN, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Stuttgart have released head coach Markus Weinzierl from all his duties with immediate effect, the struggling Bundesliga club announced in an official statement on Saturday.
Hours after the heavy 6-0 loss to Augsburg, which marked the 19th defeat of the season, Stuttgart reacted and parted ways with Markus Weinzierl and his assistants Wolfgang Beller, Thomas Barth and Halil Altintop.
"We have repeatedly emphasised that it was our clear wish to conclude the season with Markus Weinzierl. However, after the extremely disappointing game in Augsburg we came to the conclusion that a clear cut is a absolutely necessary to maintain out top-flight status," Stuttgart's sporting director Thomas Hitzlsperger said.
From now on Stuttgart's Under-19 coach Nico Willig, who works since 2016 for the club, will take the reins as a caretaker until the end of the season.
"Nico Willig has done a very good job with Stuttgart's youth teams in recent years and he immediately agreed to help the club in this difficult situation. We are convinced that he is able to provide a new impulse," Hitzlsperger added.
In October 2018, Weinzierl replaced Tayfun Korkut when Stuttgart sat on the last place of the Bundesliga standings. However, Weinzierl wasn't able to turn the tides at Stuttgart as the "Swabians" sit on a relegation play-off spot with a six-point gap to safety and four more games to spare.
Stuttgart host fifth placed Borussia Monchengladbach at the 31st round of Bundesliga on April 27. Enditem
