By John Bagratuni, dpa

Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt are in the Bundesliga danger zone after losing key home games against fellow strugglers. The fight against the drop has also led to coaching changes in what could coincide with the end of an era

Berlin (dpa) – Thomas Schaaf may have a strange feeling looking at the Bundesliga table as the danger zone is made up of the three clubs he has been in charge of in the German top flight.

Hanover, where Schaaf had to go last weekend after 10 defeats in 11 games since his December appointment, are last and all but beyond hope, 10 points away from the relegation play-off spot and 12 shy of safety with five matches remaining.

 

Schaaf’s previous job was in the 2014-15 season at Eintracht Frankfurt who slipped to second last Saturday with a 2-0 home defeat against Hoffenheim.

 

And Werder Bremen where Schaaf played since the age of 11 and coached from 1999 until 2014, have slumped into the play-off spot after a hard to swallow 2-1 home defeat against fellow strugglers Augsburg.

 

Schaaf, who can not be blamed for Bremen’s and Frankfurt’s troubles, but his exit in Hanover is seen as the latest sign that a generation of coaches is on its way out.

 

In the dogfight, Hanover have 18 points, Frankfurt 27, Bremen 28, Augsburg 30, Hoffenheim 31, and Darmstadt 32.

 

VfB Stuttgart (33) who recorded a league record sixth own goal of the season in their 3-1 loss against leaders Bayern Munich, SV Hamburg and Cologne (34 each) are also not fully safe.

 

The defeat reopened the coaching debate in Bremen but Viktor Skripnik was conducting training on Sunday and the Bild paper on its website quoted general manager Thomas Eichin as saying that Skripnik «will remain our coach.

 

«All teams in the lowlands have a discussion on the coach. You must cope with that, and Skripnik can cope.»

 

Bremen, who won a league and cup double under Schaaf in 2004, face a first drop since 1980. They have won just two of their 14 home games and have the worst defense in the league, letting in 59 goals.

 

Skripnik, like Schaaf a former Bremen player and in charge as coach since October 2014, insisted «I won’t sack myself» as he attacked the media after the latest setback.

 

«Every Bundesliga defeat is followed by stories which are unpleasant to read. It doesn’t hurt me but you are doing Werder Bremen harm. If you want the team to be in the second division, then here you go,» he fumed at the post-match news conference.

 

«There were situations in the first half of the season when it was said I am gone. But who is supposed to do it? Everyone is saying ‘You are the man we need.'»

 

Bremen and Augsburg (Markus Weinzierl) are the only clubs from the bottom five who still have the coach that was in charge at the start of the season.

 

The defeats for Bremen and Frankfurt, where Robert Kovac is now in charge in succession of Armin Veh, were especially painful because they came against fellow strugglers.

 

Hoffenheim were seven points behind Frankfurt in last place when 28-year-old Julian Nagelsmann took over from veteran Huub Stevens in early February.

 

They have made a remarkable recovery ever since, winning five of the nine games under Nagelsmann, drawing twice and losing only twice.

 

«It was a fantastic day for us in our fight for survival,» said Nadiem Amiri who scored Hoffenheim’s first with a spectacular solo.

 

«The boost a win against our direct competitors gives us is almost as valuable as the three points themselves. We need to keep collecting points, in every game. It’s still all to play for.»

 

After all, there are still five rounds to play until the May 14 finale where the duel between Bremen and Frankfurt could be the big showdown for survival.

 

The changes at the helm also appear to spell the end of an era as clubs now longer look for shrewd old hands to fight the drop, with even Hanover turning to youth team coach Daniel Stendel in succession of Schaaf.

 

Stevens (62) resigned for health reasons and is unlikely to return, while Veh (55), who won the league with Stuttgart in 2007, and Schaaf

(54) may find it hard to get a new job as a generation of young coaches is taking over.

 

«Stevens, Veh, Schaaf: the Bundesliga has just lost three defining figures. The rebuilding in the coaching market is all but finalised,»

the Sueddeutsche Zeitung said Saturday.

 

«The dominating teams are long coached by accomplished young men such as Pep Guardiola (Munich) and Thomas Tuchel (Dortmund), and apart from a few exceptions the rest of the league is dominated as well by the next generation.»