Jos Luhukay has resigned as Stuttgart coach after just 85 days at the helm, admitting there were issues with sporting director Jan Schindelmeiser after he objected to the signings of players including Arsenal's Takuma Asano.
Stuttgart, the 2007 Bundesliga champions, were relegated from the top flight last season prompting a summer of upheaval off the pitch, with the president, sporting director and coach all leaving the club.
Luhukay -- who won promotion to the Bundesliga with his three former clubs, Borussia Monchengladbach, Augsburg and Hertha Berlin -- was hired to lead Stuttgart's bid to return to the top tier but oversaw two wins and two losses in his first four games.
#VfB and Jos #Luhukay mutually agreed to terminate the employment contract with immediate effect. pic.twitter.com/ftSWBcfILX
- VfB Stuttgart_int (@VfB_int) September 15, 2016
In addition to the losses -- which included a home defeat to local minnows Heidenheim -- Luhukay said he had informed the club of his desire to leave on Thursday after failing to find common ground with Schindelmeiser, who was also brought in this summer.
"I realised during our first meeting that it just does not fit," Schindelmeiser told reporters. "Jos had an own vision how he wants to work with the squad, but you can't have success like that, only as team."
The sporting director added that Luhukay was not happy about the signings of Asano from Arsenal, Carlos Mane from Sporting and Benjamin Pavard during the final days of the summer transfer window.
"He told us three days before the closure that he does want those players. I told him that we'd sign them anyway because we need them," Schindelmeiser said.