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Nuremberg sack coach Verbeek after 184 days

Photo taken on March 1, 2014 in Dortmund, Germany shows Gertjan Verbeek, then head coach of the German first division Bundesliga side FC Nuremberg

Bundesliga strugglers Nuremberg announced on Wednesday they had sacked coach Gertjan Verbeek after just 184 days in charge. The decision to fire the 51-year-old Dutchman follows Sunday's 4-1 home to defeat to Bayer Leverkusen that kept the club second bottom of the league and set to be relegated. "After a run of defeats for the club, we have decided to take the necessary steps to get back to winning ways while we still have three matches to play," general manager Martin Bader said. Under-23s coach Roger Prinzen will take over as coach on an interim basis and will be Nuremberg's third trainer this season. Prinzen has just three games left to keep Nuremberg up starting on Saturday against Mainz 05, then Hanover 96 and Schalke 04. "Roger knows the team well and has already proven he can help out in a very difficult situation," said Bader. Verbeek was appointed Nuremberg coach last October, taking over from the sacked Michael Wiesinger and the Dutchman had previously lost his job at AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch first division.