Norbert Meier has been sacked as the head coach of SV Darmstadt 98 just six months after taking charge of the club in June.

Darmstadt have won just two games in all competitions this season, and die Lilien find themselves 16th in the Bundesliga table on eight points after 13 games, just one point above the relegation zone.

The Jonathan-Heimes-Stadion am Böllenfalltor outfit are also on a six game losing streak, with their last points coming in late October, after Darmstadt defeated VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 at home.

Ramon Berndroth, head of the Darmstadt youth academy, has been named interim manager by the club. And analysist Kai Peter Schmitz and goalkeeping coach Dimo Wache have also joined the first team backroom staff on a temporary basis.

Meier wasn’t the only Darmstadt casualty this morning, as the club’s sporting director, Holger Fach, was also sacked by the board following the club;s torrid form this season.

In a statement released on the club website, club president Rudiger Fritsch said: "Having analysed the situation after yesterday's match, we have come to the conclusion that we need new stimulus to counter the current negative trend. It is for this reason that we have decided to make this move."

Miracle workers

Darmstadt defined the odds last season, after the tiny club incredibly survived only their third season in the German top flight, finishing 14th place, and confirming their place in the 2016-17 season weeks before the season came to an end.

Then Darmstadt manager Dirk Schuster was awarded with the “German Coach of the Year” award for his incredible achievement with the club, however Schuster joined FC Augsburg the following summer.

It is not yet clear who the Lilies will appoint as Meier's successor, especially given that the current pool of managers out of work isn't as strong as it has been previously.

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Dylan Walsh
Student at the University of Brighton, 20-years-old, Twitter: @dylanwalsh_