FC Bayern Munich announced on Saturday that the club has mutually agreed to part ways with head coach Gordon Herbert with immediate effect. The decision comes after a prolonged downturn in the EuroLeague and follows a constructive discussion between both sides.
The timing is mainly determined by the results in the European top competition. Bayern has lost eight EuroLeague matches in a row, most recently a 77–103 defeat to AS Monaco, marking the worst European losing streak in club history.
After 17 EuroLeague matches, Bayern are 19th in the standings at 5–12 with a difference of minus 117 points. The team has struggled on the road, posting a 1-9 record while racking up 1,440 points, one of the highest totals in the league.
Despite the European struggles, Bayern remain at the top of the Bundesliga and are still alive in the domestic leagues. The club will also participate in the Munich Top Four in the German Cup on February 21 and 22.
For Sunday evening’s league match at the sold-out Lanxess Arena in Cologne against sixth-placed Bonn, Bayern will be coached by the current assistant staff. The club expects to provide clarity about its succession plan during the EuroLeague home match against league leaders Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv at the SAP Garden on Tuesday.
Sports director Dragan Tarlac addressed the decision on his return from Monaco. “First of all, we would like to thank Gordie for his work. Especially last season, he played an important role in the wave of enthusiasm for basketball in Munich,” said Tarlac.
Tarlac emphasized that Herbert was not solely responsible for the recession. He cited roster turnover after EuroBasket, injuries to key players, an unfavorable schedule and Herbert’s own illness-related absence as contributing factors.
“Yet it is now clear to everyone that we are at a sporting crossroads and are obliged to provide new impetus to the team, which always gives everything,” said Tarlac. He added that the EuroLeague season is not yet halfway done and that Bayern still has important goals ahead.
Herbert becomes the latest high-profile coaching leaver in the EuroLeague this season. Ioannis Sfairoupoulos, Zeljko Obradovic, Joan Penarroya, Igor Kokoskov and Ettore Messina have also left their respective posts.
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