Schalke 04 have fired their coach David Wagner following an unprecedented run of 18 matches without a win.

Wagner was let go after his side lost 3-1 at home to Werder Bremen on Saturday (stream the replay on ESPN+ in the U.S.), meaning their last win in the Bundesliga came in January.

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The defeat to Bremen, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, came after Schalke had lost 8-0 to Bayern Munich on the opening day of the 2020-21 season.

"We all hoped that we'd be able to achieve the sporting turnaround together with David Wagner," Schalke sporting executive Jochen Schneider said. "Sadly, we did not get the results and performances needed for it on the first two match days. We therefore decided to go the path of a new beginning, personnel-wise.

"Despite the disappointing results this was far from an easy decision for us. I can only thank David Wagner, Christoph Buhler and Frank Nohling who gave it their all to get Schalke back on the tracks until the day of their release."

Wagner, a former United States international, took on the role at Schalke in the summer of 2019.

It was his first coaching role in the Bundesliga having previously been at Huddersfield Town who he guided to the Premier League in 2017.

Schalke have been linked with a host of names including former RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick, who has been at Schalke twice in the past, and former Belgium head coach Marc Wilmots.

The German club have felt the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic with a salary cap of €2.5 million imposed for new signings and contracts.

U.S. international Weston McKennie, one of the club's biggest assets, left Schalke and joined Juventus on a loan deal during the summer but the club were unable to bring in any big signings due to the tight budget.