Hertha Berlin have sacked both head coach Bruno Labbadia and director of sport Michael Preetz after slipping closer to the Bundesliga drop zone.
Saturday’s 4-1 home defeat to Werder Bremen left Hertha with only one win and three points from their last eight Bundesliga games, a run which has seen them drop to 14th, two points clear of Cologne in the relegation play-off place.
In a statement, club chairman Carsten Schmidt said: “Week in, week out, Bruno and his coaching staff have invested a lot of hard work into the team’s development and we would like to thank him greatly for that.
“Ultimately, however, the return of 17 points from 18 games leaves us in a very precarious situation. After much deliberation, we feel that a change of head coach can give the team fresh impetus.”
But as part of a broader shake-up, Preetz – who has been with the club for almost 25 years both as a player and part of the administration – has also left his role.
Club president Werner Gegenbauer said: “During that time, Michael Preetz has established Hertha as a Bundesliga club, but looking at the development both in the last campaign and the current one, we have decided to take a different direction for his role in the future.”
