In charge for over 1000 days
The management of Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart has decided to release American head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo. The Swabians made the decision official on Monday evening. Matarazzo has been in charge for over 1000 days, led 100 games across all competitions, and was still under contract until 2024. The club has not yet announced a successor, but Sebastian Hoeneß and Adi Hütter were linked to the position by the German magazine kicker last week.
Stuttgart were defeated by Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin (0-1) on the weekend, and following the result, sporting director Sven Mislintat was unwilling to guarantee Matarazzo’s job. “The problem is the discrepancy between the performances and the actual results, which has led to an alarming position in the league table after nine match days,” Mislintat said on Sunday evening.
Mislintat, CEO Alexander Wehrle and his new consultant Sami Khedira met on Monday to consult on Matarazzo’s future—with the result that they would release the head coach. The Swabians are 17th with just five points, and they are the only team in the Bundesliga without a win.
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Stuttgart release Matarazzo: “I am grateful for the opportunity”
“Our journey together at VfB is over,” Matarazzo said in a statement released by the club. “It was an intense but wonderful period with incredible moments and memories that will always stick with me. I will always be grateful that the club gave me an opportunity and opened a door for me to start my career in the business. I always enjoyed coming to work and was lucky to work together with many great people. VfB is a special club, and you don’t understand it until you were a part of it. I wish the team and this club all the best and success in the future.”
Added Mislintat: “When we signed Rino three years ago, we were absolutely convinced by his potential and abilities. Rino not only fulfilled our expectations but exceeded them. We never doubted him, even in difficult sporting situations, because we were convinced that he is the best possible coach for our club. After a long analysis following last season, where we managed to avoid relegation on the last day of the season, we were optimistic about this season. The results, however, have not fulfilled our hopes. We are now at a point in which we feel that is no longer avoidable to go separate ways with Rino. I feel bad about this decision and want to thank Rino for his excellent work in Stuttgart.”
Der VfB hat Pellegrino #Matarazzo mit sofortiger Wirkung von seinen Aufgaben entbunden. Der 44-Jährige war im Dezember 2019 als Cheftrainer zum #VfB gekommen und hatte die Mannschaft mit dem Brustring seitdem in 100 Pflichtspielen betreut.
Zur Meldung ⤵ https://t.co/IhY3XLNlyQ— VfB Stuttgart (@VfB) October 10, 2022
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