Bundesliga side Schalke have sacked coach Felix Magath on Wednesday following a crisis meeting.
Although Magath helped the likes of
Wolfsburg
and
Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga title, the 57-year-old has been under a cloud for some time with
Schalke currently 10th in the table.
However, results had picked up of late with the Royal
Blues seeing off
Valencia to book their place in the
UEFA Champions League quarter-finals while they also beat
Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 at the weekend.
Speculation was rife that Magath would be sacked at the end of the campaign regardless, however, the board have acted now during Wednesday's meeting.
Good reasons
"For Schalke's point of view there are very good reasons for this separation," chairman Clemens Toennies told the club's
official website.
"We will not make these public as a legal battle is now ahead of us. But we very relaxed about this process. What we have decided is a good result for Schalke."
Former Greece head coach Otto Rehhagel is the front-runner to assume control of first-team affairs having previously been linked to the post while Magath was still in charge.