Sportfreunde Siegen and promotion-winning coach Thorsten Nehrbauer are parting ways effective immediately. His successor has already been named.

Not much remains of Sportfreunde Siegen’s strong start to the season. The team has not won a Regionalliga game in six straight matches. This has now led to consequences.

As the club announced, coach Thorsten Nehrbauer—who led Siegen back to the Regionalliga last season—must step down as a result. “We thank Thorsten for his great dedication and the work he has done over the past few months. His contribution to the promotion to the Regionalliga is undisputed and will remain closely associated with his name. That is precisely why this decision was not an easy one for us,” explains Managing Director Matthias Georg in a club statement.

He continues: “After a thorough analysis, we have come to the conclusion that our visions for the team’s sporting direction are increasingly diverging. To steer the team’s development in the desired direction over the long term, we consider this step necessary.”

Boris Schommers is now set to take the helm; the Sportfreunde have already announced him as the successor. The 46-year-old from Leverkusen previously served as head coach at 1. FC Nürnberg in the Bundesliga (13 games) as well as at 1. FC Kaiserslautern and MSV Duisburg in the 3. Liga (56 games in total). Schommers also brings extensive experience in the youth system of 1. FC Köln, having led the Geißböcke’s U17 team to the German championship in 2010–11. The UEFA Pro License holder is familiar with the Regionalliga West through his time at 1. FC Düren.

“We are convinced that Boris is an excellent fit for us, both personally and professionally. He brings extensive experience from professional and youth soccer, is familiar with the Regionalliga West, and has a clear vision for the team that will put us back on the path to success,” said Georg.

Boris Schommers will be officially introduced to Sportfreunde Siegen on Tuesday, October 28, at 5:00 p.m.