Schalke 04 have fired Ralf Rangnick, just days after the coach announced he would be leaving the club at the end of the season.
“We had no other option. There were issues that we couldn’t resolve,” club manager Rudi Assauer told a news conference on Monday.
Rangnick revealed last week he planned to step down when his contract ran out in July 2006.
He was quoted as saying he was “sick of the political shenanigans” at the club.
Before Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Mainz, Rangnick walked around the pitch applauding fans in what appeared to be a farewell lap of honour.
“He was very depressed. It was a short conversation,” said team manager Andreas Mueller.
Rangnick led Schalke to second place in the Bundesliga behind Bayern last season and he had been negotiating a new contract with the club’s board before his unexpected decision to quit.
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