Arminia Bielefeld's crisis went a step further on Tuesday with the news that sporting director Reinhard Saftig has been sacked with immediate effect.
The future appears very uncertain in East Westphalia with the news that Bielefeld's sporting director Reinhard Saftig has left the club.
The Arminen sacked manager Ernst Middendorp shortly before the Winter break began in December, but new boss Michael Frontzeck (pictured) has done no better, losing all of his first four league games in charge and seeing his side dumped out the cup by lower-league opposition.
With Bielefeld hovering perilously one point above the relegation zone and with the worst goal difference in the league, the board of directors took the decision to make changes and told sporting director Saftig his time was up.
Saftig had lost the support of the club's fans, and has been blamed for the continued demise which has seen Bielefeld earn only eight points from their last sixteen games. Saturday's 2-0 home defeat to bottom of the table Duisburg proved the final straw.
"We aren't satisfied with the sporting situation," explaind club president Hans-Hermann Schwick in a statement released on Tuesday. "We have decided to approach next season under a new sporting director, and since we're now in the planning stages for next season we've acted now."
Saftig's had extended his contract with Arminia Bielefeld as recently as November of last year, and had planned to stay until 2010. His replacement at the Schueco-Arena has not yet been named.
Goal.com - Bundesliga - Bielefeld Dismiss Sporting Director Saftig