Söndergaard pays the price
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Article summary
Lars Söndergaard has been sacked as coach of SV Austria Salzburg after a fifth straight league defeat.
Article body
'I had to intervene'
At the beginning of the week, club president Rudi Quehenberger told Söndergaard that he would be replaced if he failed to lift the club from bottom spot in the Austrian top-flight. "This team does not deserve a coach like Söndergaard, but I had to intervene after such a poor performance and I simply cannot sack 22 players," Quehenberger said.
UEFA Cup berth
Söndergaard joined Salzburg in June 2000 as assistant to coach Hans Backe and succeeded his Danish compatriot in September 2001. He saved the club from relegation that season before leading them to an UEFA Cup berth when they finished third in the Bundesliga in 2002/03.
Shock win
A shock win in the first round of the UEFA Cup against favourites Udinese Calcio earlier this month gave Söndergaard fresh hope of saving his job, but the team's poor league form, with only three wins in the last 15 games, finally cost him his job.
Parma challenge
Director of sport Peter Assion is now expected to take the helm at Salzburg on a caretaker basis until the winter break and lead the side in the first leg of their UEFA Cup second-round tie against Parma AC on 6 November.
