Soccer Football - Bundesliga - FC Bayern Munich vs VfL Wolfsburg - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - September 22, 2017 Wolfsburg's Daniel Didavi celebrates scoring their second goal with team mates REUTERS/Michael DalderBERLIN, Feb 19 (Reuters) - VfL Wolfsburg coach Martin Schmidt resigned on Monday after five months and 22 games in charge and only four days before a key Bundesliga relegation battle against Mainz 05.The club, announcing the decision in a statement on its website, said it was surprised by Schmidt's decision but had accepted it reluctantly.Schmidt, the fourth coach to leave the club since October 2016, was appointed in September. Wolfsburg drew 11 out of their 19 league matches under him with five defeats and three wins.They also won two matches in the German Cup before losing to Schalke 04 in the quarter-finals. ""We would like to have achieved that with him but we couldn't dissuade him from his decision," he added. "I have to admit his decision has disappointed me because he was the coach we really wanted. "There was no immediate comment from Schmidt himselfIt was the eighth coaching change of the Bundesliga season, with two at Wolfsburg and one each at Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, Cologne, Borussia Dortmund, Hamburg SV and VfB Stuttgart.Wolfsburg's hardcore fans staged a protest against the club management during Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, only entering the stadium after 19 minutes and 45 seconds of the first half - a reference to the year in which the club was founded.

Source: Egypt Today February 19, 2018 18:45 UTC