Bayer Leverkusen fires Schmidt

Roger Schmidt has been given the sack in the wake of Bayer Leverkusen's 6-2 defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Bayer Leverkusen has sacked head coach Roger Schmidt after a poor run of form.

The BayArena side has underachieved this season and sits ninth in the Bundesliga after 23 games - it will drop to 10th if Freiburg gets a draw against Eintracht Frankfurt later on Sunday.

Leverkusen was hammered 6-2 by Borussia Dortmund on Saturday in what proved the final straw for the club's board.

"Bayer 04 have parted ways with head coach Roger Schmidt with immediate effect," read a statement on the club's official Twitter account.

The 49-year-old took charge of Leverkusen in 2014 after impressing during his time in charge of RB Salzburg. He led the side to fourth place in the table in his first season at the club, before going one place better in 2015-16.

Leverkusen has failed to build on that progress this season, though, and Schmidt has now paid the price for their poor form.

Leverkusen will be looking to get their season back on track without Schmidt on Friday when it hosts Werder Bremen, before a tough task awaits in the Champions League on March 15 as it looks to overturn a 4-2 first-leg defeat against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon.