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Bochum fires coach after starting Bundesliga with 6 losses

September 12, 2022 GMT

Bochum's head coach Thomas Reis stands in the stadium before the start of the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Schalke 04 and VfL Bochum in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. Bochum fired Thomas Reis as coach on Monday after starting the Bundesliga with six straight defeats. Heiko Butscher, the coach of Bochum’s under-19s, was to take over from Reis on an interim basis, the club said. (David Inderlied/dpa via AP)

BOCHUM, Germany (AP) — Bochum fired coach Thomas Reis on Monday after starting the Bundesliga season with six straight losses.

Assistant coach Markus Gellhaus was also let go with immediate effect. Heiko Butscher, the coach of Bochum’s under-19s, was to take over from Reis on an interim basis, the club said.

Bochum’s 3-1 loss at promoted Schalke on Saturday proved Reis’ final game in charge, almost exactly three years after he took over the team.

Reis was appointed Bochum coach on Sept. 6, 2019 when the team was struggling. The former Bochum midfielder stabilized the side, then led it to promotion as second-division champion the following season. Reis helped Bochum avoid relegation last season, “almost like a fairytale,” the club said.

“As wonderful as these events were, they have since been overtaken by reality. The team is currently without a single point after six matchdays, the worst start to a season in VfL’s Bundesliga history. The team has still not found itself,” Bochum said on its website.

It said “a thorough and in-depth analysis” concluded “that a change of manager was necessary.”

Bochum next faces tough games against Cologne, Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt.

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