UPDATE: Thursday, 12 pm ET — Jurgen Klinsmann has been removed from Hertha Berlin's supervisory board after what the club's primary investor described as the "unacceptable" manner of his departure as head coach on Tuesday.
"I regret that Jurgen Klinsmann left us abruptly. I talked to him on the phone, and he apologized for it. He's very sorry," Lars Windhorst said. "But, sadly, the way he left, he won't be able to return to the supervisory board. The manner of his departure was unacceptable."
He continued: "You can do that as a teenager, but not in the business world. His name resounded internationally. And we were really close to landing new sponsors."
ORIGINAL: Tuesday, 10 am ET — Former US men's national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann has left his job as manager of Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin after just 10 weeks in charge. Klinsmann, who won three of 10 matches since taking over at the relegation-threatened club in November, said in a statement announcing his resignation that he felt he lacked the support to do the job as he wished. He said he will remain at the club in a supervisory role.
"I am more than convinced that Hertha will reach its goal to stay up," the former World Cup-winning striker wrote on his Facebook page. "But for this job, which is not done yet, as the head coach I need the trust of the acting persons. Especially in a relegation battle unity, team spirit and focus on the basics are the most important elements. If they are not guaranteed, I can't live up to my potential as a head coach and fulfill my responsibility.
"That's why, after long consideration, I have come to the conclusion that I will leave my post as the Hertha Berlin head coach and return to my initial long-term task as a member of the supervisory board," he added. "The supporters, the players and staff have grown dear to me in this time and that's why I will continue to cheer for Hertha."
In a statement of their own, Hertha expressed their shock at Klinsmann's decision to leave after less than three months and following a transfer window in which he was given significant funds to strengthen the squad, including breaking the club's transfer record to sign striker Krzysztof Piatek from AC Milan.
"We were very surprised by what happened this morning," read a statement from Hertha's Sporting Executive Michael Preetz. "There were no previous indications of this decision, especially after the support shown throughout a busy winter transfer market in regards to signings. We will provide further information as the situation develops."
