Monday, October 10, 2022 at 7:15 PM• Jordi Tomasowa • Last update: 19:27

Pellegrino Matarazzo has been fired, VfB Stuttgart officially announced on Monday. The trainer’s dismissal follows the day after the 0-1 home defeat against Union Berlin. It is not yet known who the American trainer at the Swabians will follow.

Matarazzo had a dramatic start to the season with Stuttgart. Only five points were scored in the first nine league matches, which means that the club is currently in a disappointing seventeenth place in the Bundesliga. The 44-year-old coach was still waiting for his first league win of this season. The match against Union Berlin was the hundredth for Matarazzo as coach of Stuttgart. Due to the mediocre results, the jubilee duel now appears to be his last.

Stuttgart thanks Matarazzo for his services rendered. The coach was promoted to the Bundesliga in 2019 and subsequently managed to maintain himself at the highest level in Germany for two seasons in a row. “In the end, we have come to the conclusion that a change of coach is necessary to bring about a turnaround after the negative results of recent weeks,” said chairman Alexander Wehrle in the Stuttgart statement.

Matarazzo himself says that he can look back on three incredibly beautiful years. “Our journey together at VfB Stuttgart is coming to an end. They were intense and wonderful years with many incredible moments and memories that will last forever. Stuttgart is something special that you only understand when you are part of it. I wish this team, this club with these fans every success.” Matarazzo is the fourth manager to be fired from the Bundesliga this season. RB Leipzig was the first to send Domenico Tedesco out, after which VfL Bochum said goodbye to Thomas Reis. Gerardo Seoane had to leave Bayer Leverkusen last week and was replaced by Xabi Alonso.