Greuther Fürth can also make personnel changes! The botched derby against Nuremberg not only cost Alexander Zorniger his job, but also a former MSV Duisburg player.

Just a few days after the disappointing 0:4 defeat in the derby against 1. FC Nuremberg, second division club Greuther Fürth somewhat surprisingly parted ways with coach Alexander Zorniger and sports director Rachid Azzouzi. The club announced this on Tuesday (October 22).

“The reason is the sporting development in recent weeks. Leo Haas, the head coach of the U23s, is to provide a new impetus for the team. Haas will take over the role on an interim basis until the winter break together with his assistant coach Julian Kolbeck, who will complement assistant coaches Stefan Kleineheismann and Marco Konrad,” explained the Fürth team in a statement.

This marks the end of Zorniger’s tenure after almost exactly two years and 67 games in which he averaged 1.45 points – his second-weakest rate after his brief stint at VfB Stuttgart (15 games, 1.07 points). In nine games this season, he led the Franconians to two wins and twelfth place. His Fürth team also finished its first season there, and finished eighth last season.

It’s not just the head coach who is over in Fürth. Rachid Azzouzi also has to vacate his post. The sports director had been in office since 2017 and had also started his second career as manager in 2005 at the second division club. He then returned to Fürth via FC St. Pauli and Fortuna Düsseldorf.

I would like to thank all of my companions over the 22 years in total, who have made our cloverleaf a special club and will continue to live it.

Rachid Azzouzi

Stephan Fürstner, sporting director of the Kleeblatt Academy, is in charge of the team. Azzouzi’s area of ​​responsibility will initially be taken over by Holger Schwiewagner. President Volker Heißmann said of the departing sporting director: “Today is a very sad day. We all appreciate Rachid. His name will always be closely linked to the greatest successes in the club’s recent history. As difficult as it was for us, we still see the need to make fundamental changes in order to introduce adapted structures and processes.”

Rachid Azzouzi explained: “It was a huge honor for me to be significantly involved in the development of the club; for me it was always more than just an employer. So everyone will certainly understand that I have to process this first. I would like to thank all of my companions over the 22 years in total, who have made our Kleeblatt a special club and will continue to live it.”

Azzouzi was also under contract with the Kleeblatt for the longest time as a player. He scored 30 goals in 179. But he also played in the Ruhr region for some time, between 1989 and 1995 he made 119 appearances for MSV Duisburg, 64 of them in the Bundesliga. As a national player for Morocco, Azzouzi made 37 appearances.

The Franconians are heading to Gelsenkirchen: Interim coach Haas will celebrate his debut at Schalke 04 on Saturday (October 26th, 1 p.m.).