Third division club Aue and sports director part ways - Härtel stays

The struggling third division club FC Erzgebirge Aue and sporting director Matthias Heidrich have parted ways. Head coach Jens Härtel, whose departure had recently been the subject of speculation, will remain with the Saxons, however, as the FCE announced. The portal "Tag24" had previously reported.

According to the press release, the board of directors and supervisory board had initially decided to appoint a new assistant to Härtel in the form of Lars Fuchs. The current assistant coach Jörg Emmerich was offered another position at the club. Heidrich did not want to support these decisions, according to the press release.

"As the relationship of trust between the board and sporting director is therefore no longer given for further cooperation, the modalities for ending the cooperation will be discussed in the next few days," the club continued. How and when the position of sporting director will be filled has not yet been decided.

Saxons without a win in four games

Aue only managed a 2-2 draw at home to Ingolstadt at the weekend despite being outnumbered for a long time. Before the game, the club's board is said to have demanded a win from Härtel. The Saxons are in a relegation spot after four games without a win.

Former professional Heidrich returned to Aue as sporting director in 2022 and was promoted to sporting director shortly afterwards. Emmerich, who also played for Aue for a longer period of time, had been assistant coach since 2023. According to media reports, Heidrich was criticized for his unbalanced squad planning. Emmerich is said to have a strained relationship with Härtel.