Swiss coach Lucien Favre has been handed the reins at struggling Bundesliga side VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach, taking over from Michael Frontzeck who was sacked on Sunday.

The 53-year-old Favre will attempt a rescue mission with a Mönchengladbach team lying three points adrift at the bottom of the German top flight. He had been without a club since being dismissed by Hertha BSC Berlin in September 2009. His work at Hertha, beginning in 2007, had earned him Germany's coach of the season award for the 2008/09 campaign.

Capped 24 times by Switzerland as a midfielder, Favre made his coaching name by leading Yverdon-Sport FC to promotion to the Swiss Super League in 1999 and then winning the 2001 Swiss Cup with Servette FC. He moved on to Hertha after lifting back-to-back Swiss titles as coach of FC Zürich.

With just 16 points from 22 Bundesliga games, two-time UEFA Cup winners Mönchengladbach are eight from safety. Their new coach said: "I am convinced that we still have a chance to stay up. There is very little time left so we have to be precise and correct things quickly."