Wolfsburg sack head coach Mark van Bommel

The 44-year-old was appointed in June and started his tenure with four consecutive wins to top the Bundesliga. However, Saturday's 2-0 defeat at home to Freiburg -- when there were calls of "Van Bommel out!" from the stands -- was Wolfsburg's fourth straight league loss and left the club eighth in the Bundesliga table.

Wolfsburg are bottom of their Champions League group on goal difference after draws with Sevilla and Lille before last Wednesday's 3-1 defeat at Red Bull Salzburg. Van Bommel is the first coach to be sacked in the Bundesliga this season. He made an embarrassing start in August when Wolfsburg were thrown out of the German Cup in the first round after Van Bommel made one more substitution than is allowed in an extra-time win over fourth-tier minnows Preussen Muenster.