German giants Schalke 04 have sacked manager Huub Stevens following Saturday’s 3-1 home loss to SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga.
The result left the Gelsenkirchen club down in seventh after a league run of six games without a victory.
Stevens had guided Schalke through to the UEFA Champions League last 16, topping a group including Arsenal and Olympiakos but it hasn’t proved enough to keep his job due to their poor Bundesliga form.
The manager will be temporarily replaced by youth team boss Jens Keller.
“This was a very hard decision for everyone involved given the merits the 59-year-old has earned with the club,” Schalke said in a statement.