Eintracht Braunschweig has terminated the contract of head coach Heiner Backhaus with immediate effect, and assistant coach Julius Schell has also been relieved of his duties, the club announced on Tuesday.

Club secretary and head of sports, Benjamin Kessel, said the club had been monitoring the team’s progress and results over recent weeks. “After many conversations – both with the coaching staff and with Heiner himself – we are no longer convinced that we can successfully continue on the current path with this personnel arrangement” he explained. Kessel added that the decision was not based on a single match but on the squad’s recent stagnation in development.

The club, currently positioned 15th in the 2. Bundesliga, did not reveal a successor at the time of the announcement. It said it would provide further details on a new coach “in the near future”.