By Barry Whelan, dpa

Berlin/Wolfsburg, Germany (dpa) – German Bundesliga club Wolfsburg parted company on Monday with coach Dieter Hecking.

The club said Hecking was informed Monday afternoon of the decision by chief executive Klaus Allofs in an agreement reached «by mutual consent.»

Under-23 coach Valerien Ismael will take charge for the time being.
Wolfsburg visit Darmstadt on Saturday.

Wolfsburg have won just one of their seven Bundesliga matches this season and are languishing fifth from bottom.

Hecking, 52, has been Wolfsburg coach since the start of 2013 and enjoyed initial success, winning the German Cup in 2015 and finishing runners-up to Bayern Munich the same season.

Allofs said he was «very sorry» to have to part with Hecking and assistant coach Dirk Bremser after four successful years.

«Unfortunately we did not manage to qualify in the league for international competition last season, despite great matches in the Champions League, and the personnel change in the squad this summer did not bring the change we had hoped for,» Allofs said in a statement on the club’s website.

«After the last disappointing performance we have decided to give the team new impetus by changing the head coaching position.»

Hecking said: «I would have liked to have continued working with the team to bring back the success but respect the club’s decision.»

Although Wolfsburg won their opening game of the league season, the side has struggled since and a 1-0 defeat at home to promoted RB Leipzig on Sunday has forced the club to act.

Wolfsburg have now followed northern German neighbours SV Hamburg and Werder Bremen in changing their coaches this season, after Hamburg sacked Bruno Labbadia and Bremen dismissed Viktor Skripnik.

Wolfsburg, the 2009 Bundesliga champions, have invested heavily in new signing but have also sold top players. Pre-season the club spent some 42 million euros (46 million dollars) for eight new players including Germany striker Mario Gomez, while selling seven players for 50 million.

However the club has generally had poor results, with just 25 points in 24 points including the latter half of last season. The exception was a good run in last season’s Champions League before going out to eventual winners Real Madrid in the quarter-finals in April.