The management of German soccer club Schalke has fired head coach Karel Geraerts and sporting director Marc Wilmots after the defeat against Darmstadt on Friday, reports DPA. The team from Gelsenkirchen led 3:0 at home, but allowed five unanswered goals and lost 3:5.
Geraerts and Wilmots, a Schalke legend as a footballer, led the team to just one win and four defeats in the first six games of the season.
"The decision of the board of directors to release Karel Geraerts was not based only on the results or the loss against Darmstadt, but on the poor overall development of the team in recent weeks," executive director Matthias Tillmann was quoted as saying by the club.
p>
Interim coach of Schalke will be the mentor of the under-23 formation Jakob Fimpel. Willmotts will be replaced by Ben Manga, the manager of the first team.