Mainz axe falls on coach Schmidt

Martin Schmidt became the tenth Bundesliga coach to be sacked this season after Mainz showed him the door having only narrowly avoided relegation.

Their 2-0 defeat at Cologne on Saturday, the last day of the German league season, left them 15th and only out of the relegation places on goal difference. Schmidt, 50, who took over in February 2015, had another year left on his contract, but the Swiss paid for six defeats in Mainz’s final ten games.