Feldhoff and Ural appear set for caretaker role at lowly Bochum

Bundesliga bottom club Bochum appear set to make Markus Feldhoff and Murat Ural caretaker coaches after Peter Zeidler had to go.

Bochum are yet to make a statement but dpa has learnt and other media have also reported that the two are to take over.

Both are assistant coaches at the club and are now set to be tasked with leading the team through a difficult schedule over the coming weeks and buy the club time to find a permanent solution - or possibly impress themselves for a longer engagement.

Bochum play leaders Bayern Munich on Sunday, and then Eintracht Frankfurt and champions Bayer Leverkusen before the next international break in November.

Those are tough tasks for any coach, and possibly starting with three defeats could weaken the position of a new permanent helmsman.

Other reported caretaker candidates could include Bochum under-17 coach David Siebers, or U23 coach Heiko Butscher who had the same role at the end of the past season and saved them from relegation via a play-off tie.

Former Schalke coach Andre Breitenreiter, last in charge at England's Huddersfield, is reportedly a possible permanent solution.

Zeidler, 62, arrived in summer but did not manage a victory in his eight games. Bochum lost six of their seven Bundesliga matches and drew the other, and went out in the German Cup.

"There is a lack of conviction that VfL can achieve the goal of staying in the league with the current set-up," a club statement on Sunday said.

"Despite many discussions and endeavours in recent weeks, we have not succeeded in achieving significant improvements in sporting terms or in the league table."