Football
Reuters 17y

Soccer-Austrian champions sack joint coach Matthaeus

BERLIN, June 12 - Lothar Matthaeus was sacked on
Tuesday as joint coach of Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg
due to differences of philosophy, the club said.

Matthaeus, 46, had been coach alongside Italian Giovanni
Trapattoni since last year. The announcement released on Red
Bull Salzburg's Web site said the club's board had unanimously
decided to part company with immediate effect.

"Differences of philosophy meant that a good working
relationship would not be sustainable in the long term," said
the club, who will play in the Champions League qualifiers this
summer.

Matthaeus had another year on his contract.

Trapattoni will stay on as sole coach at the club, the
runaway winners in Austria last season.

"We have come to this decision in order to ensure that the
dressing room is calm and focused as the club heads into its
most important season ever," said sporting director Oliver
Kreuzer.

"I have been longing for such calmness and focus since the
end of last season."

Matthaeus, captain of the West Germany team that won the
1990 World Cup, began his coaching career at Rapid Vienna in
2001. He also coached Partizan Belgrade, the Hungary national
team and Brazilian club Atletico Paranaense.

Trapattoni had coached Matthaeus at Inter Milan and Bayern
Munich.

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