Former World Cup-winner Andy Brehme has been sacked as coach of Kaiserslautern.
An emergency board meeting was called after Saturday’s 3-0 defeat by Borussia Monchengladbach left the Lauterers two places from the foot of the Bundesliga.
Brehme has been replaced on a caretaker basis by his former assistant, Karlheinz Emig. The 41-year-old, who converted the penalty which won the 1990 World Cup Final against Argentina, took over Kaiserslautern from Otto Rehhagel in October 2000.
In his first season he guided them to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup but, since then, Kaiserslautern have missed out on European qualification.
Favourites to take over from Brehme will include former Bertha Berlin boss Jurgen Rober.
Brehme is the first Bundesliga coach of the season to lose his job and the 261st sacking since the unified professional league was launched in 1963.
Adding to Kaiserslautern’s problems, Jurgen Friedrich followed up the dismissal of Brehme by quitting as club president.
By Keir Radnedge
