Wolfsburg sack Hecking: reports

According to both German daily Bild and broadcaster Sport1, ex-French defender Valerien Ismael, 41, has already been promoted from the Under-23 team to be caretaker coach for Saturday's Bundesliga match at Darmstadt.

Ex-Chelsea and Tottenham coach Andre Villas-Boas and former Schalke boss Andre Breitenreiter have both been linked to the post.

The 52-year-old Hecking steered Wolfsburg to the German Cup title in 2015, the year they were runners up in the Bundesliga.

They also reached the knock-out stages of the Champions League last season for the first time in the club's history.

But Sunday's 1-0 defeat at home to newly-promoted RB Leipzig, which left the team 14th in the table, was the final straw for Wolfsburg's bosses.

Hecking was sacked after three and a half years in charge, with the team just three points from the relegation places and Wolfsburg have taken just 25 points in their 24 league games in 2016.

"As the head coach, you are always responsible -- for anything that happens," said Hecking after Sunday's defeat.

"If you don't win any games, then you have no argument."

Hecking is the third coach to be sacked in Germany's top flight this season.

Werder Bremen dismissed Viktor Skripnik on September 18 and Hamburg fired Bruno Labbadia a week later after poor results left their respective teams in the relegation places.