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Football

Advocaat quits as Gladbach coach


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Advocaat arrives for his first match in charge of Gladbach last November

MOENCHENGLADBACH, Germany -- Dick Advocaat quit as coach of Bundesliga side Borussia Moenchengladbach on Monday with under-23 team coach Horst Koeppel taking over in a caretaker role.

Advocaat's contract with the relegation-threatened club was set to expire at the end of the season but the 57-year-old has decided to leave early.

"I believe my resignation will take pressure off the club and the team," said the ex-Netherlands and Glasgow Rangers coach, explaining his decision to step down.

The five-time German champions have failed to win in their last five outings and are fourth-from-bottom on 30 points, one point above the relegation zone with five games left.

Advocaat took over at Gladbach in November 2004, replacing Holger Fach, and despite making seven new signings has been unable to lift the club out of the relegation quagmire.

The Dutchman, who led the Dutch to the Euro 2004 semifinals, is the sixth Bundesliga coach to leave his job so far this season.

Gladbach beat Bayern Munich under Koeppel's brief stewardship at the end of October.

The five-times German champions and 1975 and 1979 UEFA Cup winners have just seven league victories this season. They also lost in the first round of the German Cup before Advocaat took charge.

Moenchengladbach were a dominant force in German football in the 1970s, winning the Bundesliga in 1970 and 1971 and from 1975 to 1977. They also reached the 1977 European Cup Final, losing 3-1 to Liverpool.

Advocaat's contract, originally until June 2007, will be terminated at the end of June. He has signalled he will not seek compensation.


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