1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

Hamburg sack Bernd Hollerbach

March 12, 2018

Hamburg have fired their head coach for the second time in 2018, parting ways with Bernd Hollerbach less than two months after his appointment. The move comes days after the club fired its chairman and sporting director.

https://p.dw.com/p/2u8xw
Bayern München - Hamburger SV Bernd Hollerbach
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Hase

Coming off their worst defeat of the season — a 6-0 loss to Bayern Munich — Hamburg, who face their first-ever relegation from Germany's top league, announced on their website that they have sacked Bernd Hollerbach just seven games after appointing him.

Christian Titz, who has coached Hamburg's reserves this season, will coach the first team until the end of the season.

Hamburg currently sit 17th place, second-bottom in the standings and in the Bundesliga's relegation zone. They are the only founding member of the Bundesliga never to be relegated to Germany's second division.

"After the 6-0 loss, we analyzed and discussed the whole situation intensively," said club chairman Frank Wettstein. "In the end, looking at our chances for survival, we had to react."

Hollerbach, who played for Hamburg from 1996-2004, was appointed in January after the club fired its previous first team coach, Markus Gisdol. Hamburg did not win any of the seven games Hollerbach was in charge for and collected just three points during his brief tenure.

Hollerbach's sacking comes four days after the club parted ways with club chairman Heribert Bruchhagen and director of football Jens Todt.

Titz will make his Bundesliga debut on Saturday when Hamburg host Hertha Berlin in the Volksparkstadion.