Football: Nuremburg sack coach Verbeek after dropping to second last

Bundesliga strugglers Nuremburg announced on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, that coach Gertjan Verbeek has been sacked. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Bundesliga strugglers Nuremburg announced on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, that coach Gertjan Verbeek has been sacked. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP

BERLIN (AFP) - Bundesliga strugglers Nuremburg announced on Wednesday that coach Gertjan Verbeek has been sacked.

The decision to fire the 51-year-old Dutchman follows a 4-1 home defeat by Bayer Leverkusen last weekend that left the club second bottom of the German football league and facing relegation.

"After a run of defeats for the club, we have decided to take the necessary steps to get back to winning ways while we still have three matches to play," general manager Martin Bader said.

Verbeek was appointed Nuremburg coach only last October, taking over from the sacked Michael Wiesinger. He had previously lost his job at AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch first division.

Under-23s coach Roger Prinzen will take over as coach on an interim basis.

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