Schalke 04 coach Huub Stevens was dismissed on Sunday morning following a 3-1 loss at home to SC Frieburg, a result that left the club in seventh place in the German Bundesliga, five points outside a UEFA Champions League place. The Gelsenkirchen club had been as high as second in the standings with 20 points from its first nine games, but Schalke has only managed two points from its last six.

Stevens’ dismissal brings to an end his second spell at Schalke. It also comes despite recently qualifying for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 as the winner of Group B. The Dutchman previously led the Royal Blues to the UEFA Cup title in 1997 and two DFB Cup triumphs, as well as leading Schalke to a third-place finish in 2011/2012. In 1999, he was voted Schalke's Coach of the Century by fans.

 Jens Keller, the former coach of Schalke’s Under-17 team, has been installed as Stevens’ successor until the end of the season.