Heiko Vogel becomes the new coach at Greuther Fürth – promotion or relegation?

Heiko Vogel becomes the new coach at Greuther Fürth – promotion or relegation?

Heiko Vogel is the new head coach of SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2nd Bundesliga. The 50-year-old has signed a contract until the summer of 2027, succeeding Thomas Kleine, who was released after a disappointing start to the season. Under the previous coaches, Fürth has only been able to collect 13 points from 14 games, which underlines the cautious relegation battle. What is particularly worrying is the weak defense, which has conceded 37 goals, the worst in the league. The team has also suffered six defeats in the last seven games, most recently a 3-0 defeat against VfL Bochum.

Vogel, who most recently worked at FC Basel, brings a lot of experience in the professional field and in talent development, emphasizes sports director Stephan Fürstner. The coach enjoyed great success with Basel in 2012, winning both the championship and the cup. He began his coaching career at Sturm Graz, where he started in January 2018 and finished the 2017/2018 season as runners-up, including a cup win against Salzburg. However, he was released in November 2018 after a poor start to the season.

A challenging debut

Heiko Vogel will take his first coaching measures at Greuther Fürth directly in the iconic derby against 1. FC Nürnberg, which takes place next Sunday. This encounter could be crucial for the course of the season, as the pressure on the new coach and his team is already high. Vogel is accompanied by his own coaching team, which includes Danny Schwarz and Aleksandro Petrovic.

The decision to replace Thomas Kleine was not easy. The interim coach stabilized the team in May and secured relegation in the previous season. Kleine is therefore disappointed about his dismissal and would have liked to coach the derby. Instead, Heiko Vogel is now in the starting blocks to take the helm in a critical situation. The current challenges in the 2nd Bundesliga and the upcoming coaching changes are crucial for those in charge at Fürth to dare to make a fresh start.

The developments in the 2nd Bundesliga shed further light on the coaching changes this season. Taken together, they show that the pressure on coaches is continually increasing, particularly at clubs in a relegation battle. Under these circumstances, it will be crucial for Vogel to achieve stability and success as quickly as possible.

Further information about the coaching changes this season can be found at 90min as well as detailed news about Heiko Vogel and his new position in the t-online and on laola1.