Publications
Partners
Munich - Bayern Munich fired Juergen Klinsmann as coach on Monday, ending his two-year contract at the defending German champions after less than a season.
Klinsmann, who coached Germany at the 2006 World Cup, was told by club officials that he was dismissed with immediate effect, Bayern said in a statement posted on its website.
"(Bayern) considered that the minimum targets for this season were in danger following recent results, and so decided to take this step," the statement said.
Bayern lost 1-0 at home to Schalke on Saturday, leaving Bayern in third place in the Bundesliga.
Klinsmann joined Germany's most consistently successful team this season in his first job as a club coach, but had faced growing pressure recently due to the team's poor form.
Speculation over Klinsmann's future increased after Bayern lost 4-0 at Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals earlier this month. Barcelona won 5-1 on aggregate, leaving Bayern with only the Bundesliga title to possibly win.
Bayern said Jupp Heynckes will take over until the end of the season, with Hermann Gerland as his assistant.
Klinsmann's assistants, Martin Vasquez and Nich Theslof, have also left Bayern.
