Barnsley manager Markus Schopp has left the club after a seventh straight loss, as first reported by The Athletic on Sunday evening.
Schopp had only been in the job since June 2021 and leaves the team second-bottom of the Championship, with only Derby, who were given a 12 point deduction, beneath them. They have won just once in their last 15 games.
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The Austrian’s fate was sealed after his side lost 2-1 at Bristol City this weekend.
A club statement read: “Barnsley Football Club can confirm the departure of First Team Head Coach, Markus Schopp, with immediate effect.
“The Club places on record its appreciation for Markus’ efforts and wishes him the very best in his future endeavours.”
Chief Executive Officer, Khaled El-Ahmad, said: “On behalf of everyone at Oakwell, I would like to thank Markus for the last few months and wish him well for the next step in his career.
“I would like supporters to know that the process for finding a suitable replacement is underway and we will announce a new appointment in due course.”
Markus Schopp said: “I would like to thank all those who have accompanied me in this short but very intense time. It is a pity that our hard work was not reflected in the results. I wish the club all the best for the future and that they will achieve all their goals."
The 47-year-old took over at Oakwell after Valerien Ismael left for West Bromwich Albion, having previously spent three years at TSV Hartberg.
Ismael had guided this squad to the Championship play-offs last year, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Swansea City.
They next face Derby, in a battle of the basement-dwellers, on Wednesday night.
GO DEEPER
Barnsley, the surprise package of the season, need to pull off another shock
What has gone wrong for Barnsley?
The big problem for Barnsley is goals. They've scored 10 all season — only Hull have managed less. Their top scorers, Cauley Woodrow and Dominik Frieser, have scored just two each.
Equally troublingly, they cannot win close games. Whereas last year they recorded 23 wins with a goal difference of only eight, they've lost six games by a single goal in 2020-21.
With seven defeats on the bounce, this trend has become a worrying rot which the club have had to address.
What else do I need to know?
Well, if you want to know what went so right for Barnsley last season, The Athletic's Nancy Frostick dove into the club ahead of the play-offs last season.
Go Deeper below.
(Photo: Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Club confirmation
Barnsley Football Club can confirm the departure of First Team Head Coach, Markus Schopp, with immediate effect.
— Barnsley FC (@BarnsleyFC) November 1, 2021