Frank Schmidt’s nearly 20-year spell as coach of 1. FC Heidenheim will end this summer. The club said the 52-year-old will not extend his expiring contract. Schmidt said he had informed club chairman Holger Sanwald of his decision on Monday.
Schmidt said he appreciated the club’s efforts to agree on another extension, but had decided it was time to make a decision, also so Heidenheim could plan for the future. He had suggested in the spring that the current season might be his last; he has now confirmed he will leave.
The coach said he intends to take a break, but has not decided how long it will last or what he will do after July 1. Until the final match, he said, his focus will be on helping the team achieve the best possible result this season.
Sanwald called Schmidt’s departure a major turning point for the club and praised both his contribution to Heidenheim’s development and the way he had represented its values.
Schmidt took charge in September 2007, first on an interim basis and later as head coach. He guided Heidenheim from Germany’s fourth tier to the Bundesliga and, for a period, into the Conference League. The club was relegated from the Bundesliga last summer and is currently sixth in the second division. His successor has not been announced.
Sources: FAZ.