FC Augsburg fires coach Thorup

FC Augsburg is replacing its entire sporting management. The Bundesliga club has parted ways with coach Jess Thorup and sporting director Marinko Jurendic following a multi-day season review. Augsburg announced this.

The Swabians had started the season early without any relegation worries, but after a series of defeats they ended up not in the European Cup as they had dreamed of, but in twelfth place.

It is still unclear who will replace Thorup (55), who took over FCA in October 2023, and Jurendic, who joined from FC Zurich in the summer of 2023. "FCA will inform about the successor as soon as decisions have been made," the club continued.

Recently, there has been intense speculation that Sandro Wagner could succeed the Dane Thorup. Wagner, who will step down as assistant coach of the national team after the Nations League finals in early June and is hoping to become head coach of the Bundesliga soon, would be a major surprise. Thorup's contract ran until June 30, 2026.

"We would like to thank Jess Thorup for his commitment to FC Augsburg over the past two years. Jess has always fully identified with FCA and has stabilized us over the past two years. This decision was anything but easy for us," explained Managing Director Michael Ströll.

"However, after intensive review and trusting discussions, we have come to the conclusion that a change in the position of head coach is necessary for the further development and direction of our club," Ströll continued.

Before this season, Ströll had expressed his desire to finally shed the image of a "dreadful mouse" in their 14th Bundesliga season. During the season review, the management decided not to continue the project with Thorup. Ströll, in particular, wants a bit more glamour, more charisma, more confidence in homegrown players, and more attractive football. A positive outlier like Mainz should also be possible in Augsburg.

Just as in the 2023/24 season, when five defeats in the final spurt cost them a place in the European Championship, FC Augsburg has also collapsed. After a long, outstanding second half of the season, which even gave Thorup's team a brief glimpse of the European Cup places, they now suffered four defeats in the final spurt.

Augsburg's Thorup is losing a popular coach. The Dane, who was so approachable, took over from Enrico Maaßen in October 2023 and led the team solidly. However, he was unable to instill an exhilarating style of play in the team and instead opted for a defensive approach. This way, at least FC Augsburg was not threatened with relegation. The new coach is expected to make the team significantly more attractive.

There will also be a new sporting director. "Over the past two years, we have accomplished a lot together. However, after considering all aspects, we have come to the conclusion that we need to reorganize our sporting leadership," Ströll continued. "We thank Marinko for his dedication and commitment to our FCA and wish him and his family all the best for the future."