SpVgg Greuther Fürth has responded to its on-field crisis by parting ways with head coach Thomas Kleine. His successor has been named.

SpVgg Greuther Fürth has made a coaching change. Thomas Kleine has been relieved of his duties. This also applies to Kleine’s assistant coaches Milorad Pekovic and Marco Konrad.

After 14 matchdays, Fürth sits in 17th place in the standings with just 13 points. Last weekend’s 0–3 loss to VfL Bochum was their sixth defeat in their last seven league games. Sports director Stephan Fürstner subsequently refrained from publicly backing Kleine.

This coming Sunday (1:30 p.m./Sky), the 275th Franconian Derby against local rival 1. FC Nürnberg is on the schedule. It’s already clear who will prepare the team for the derby and is tasked with pulling them out of the basement of the standings. Effective immediately, Heiko Vogel will take over with new assistants.

“We thank Thomas, Milorad, and Marco for their dedication. Last season, Thomas managed to lead the team across the finish line during a difficult phase. Unfortunately, however, we haven’t been able to correct recurring mistakes or secure the necessary points this season,” explains sporting director Stephan Fürstner.

Heiko Vogel is the new head coach at Spielvereinigung. The 50-year-old most recently worked at FC Basel, where he led his team to the Swiss double in 2012. “Heiko brings a wealth of experience, both at the professional level and in working with young talent. We’re confident that, together with his coaching staff, he can instill structure in the team and also drive the development of each individual player,” says Fürstner.

Vogel, who coached Borussia Mönchengladbach’s U23 team from 2020 to 2022 and served as head coach of KFC Uerdingen from May 2019 to September 2019, brings Danny Schwarz (most recently head coach at FC 08 Homburg) and Aleksandro Petrovic (most recently head coach at TSV Buchbach) to his coaching staff.

“I’m joining Spielvereinigung with great anticipation and want to help our team get back on the path to success together. We’ll give it our all to make that happen. We have a special game coming up this weekend and will prepare for it meticulously,” said Heiko Vogel on Monday as he signed his contract, which runs through the summer of 2027.