Cologne sacks head coach Peter Stoeger

Berlin Dec 3 (IANS) The Bundesliga s bottom football club Cologne confirmed that head coach Peter Stoeger was fired on Sunday.

A club statement said Stoeger s contract which was due to run till June 2020 was ended with mutual agreement and U19 coach Stefan Ruthenbeck will take over until the mid-season break reports Xinhua news agency.

"Stoeger and us have felt in recent days that our joint path was coming to an end regardless of the result against Schalke " said Cologne managing director Alexander Wehrle.

"It is in the best interest of the club and especially the team that a decision was made and clarity restored " said Stoeger who joined Cologne in 2013 and led them back into the Bundesliga as second division champions.

The 51-year-old took Cologne to a fifth-placed finish and Europa League qualification last season.

However Cologne have gone 14 league games without a win this season and had only six goals in total.

--IANS
sam/bg