Greuther Fürth is also experiencing a personnel shake-up. The botched derby against Nuremberg not only cost Alexander Zorniger his job, but also an ex-player from MSV Duisburg.

Just a few days after the disappointing 0-4 defeat in the derby against 1. FC Nürnberg, second division club Greuther Fürth has somewhat surprisingly parted ways with coach Alexander Zorniger and sporting 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 U23 team, will provide new impetus for the team. Haas will take over 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,” Fürth explained in a statement.

This brings Zorniger’s tenure to an end after almost exactly two years and 67 games, in which he averaged 1.45 points – his second-worst record after his brief spell at VfB Stuttgart (15 games, 1.07 points). In nine games this season, he led the Franconians to two wins and twelfth place. That was also where his Fürth team finished his first season, having come eighth the season before.

It is not only the head coach whose time in Fürth is over. Rachid Azzouzi must also vacate his post. The sporting director had been in office since 2017 and had also started his second career as a manager in 2005 with the second division club. He then returned to Fürth via FC St. Pauli and Fortuna Düsseldorf.

I would like to thank all my companions over the past 22 years who have made our Kleeblatt a special club and will continue to keep it alive.

Rachid Azzouzi

Stephan Fürstner, sporting director of the Kleeblatt Academy, will take charge of the team, while Azzouzi’s duties 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 associated with the greatest successes in the club’s recent history. As difficult as it has been for us, we nevertheless see the need to make fundamental changes in order to introduce appropriate structures and processes.”

Rachid Azzouzi said: “It has been a huge honor for me to play a key role in the development of the club, which has always been more than just an employer to me. So I’m sure everyone will understand that I need some time to process this. I would like to thank everyone who has accompanied me over the past 22 years for making our Kleeblatt such a special club and for continuing to keep it alive.”

Azzouzi also spent most of his playing career with the Kleeblatt. He scored 30 goals in 179 appearances. However, he also played in the Ruhr region for a while, making 119 appearances for MSV Duisburg between 1989 and 1995, 64 of them in the Bundesliga. Azzouzi played 37 times for Morocco.

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