Arminia Bielefeld hires Kramer as coach in relegation fight

Posted March 02, 2021 6:00 am

The Associated Press

BIELEFELD, Germany (AP) - Relegation-threatened Arminia Bielefeld hired Frank Kramer as coach on Tuesday, a day after firing Uwe Neuhaus.

Kramer has only limited experience in the Bundesliga after a two-game spell as interim coach at Hoffenheim in 2012 and relegation with Greuther FÃƒ¼rth a year later. In more recent years, he coached age-group German national teams up to the under-20 level and coached Austrian champion Salzburg's youth team.

Bielefeld, which was promoted last year, is in third-to-last place in the 18-team league. Hertha Berlin is just ahead on goal difference, and improving Mainz is only one point behind in a direct relegation place. Bielefeld still has a game in hand, however. Its next game is against Union Berlin on Sunday.

Bielefeld earned only one point from its last five games - a 3-3 draw at Bayern Munich - and the 3-0 loss at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday was the fifth in a row in which the team conceded at least three goals.

The 61-year-old Neuhaus was immensely popular with Bielefeld's fans after leading the team to a surprise promotion following 11 years out of the Bundesliga. He had been in charge of the club since December 2018.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.