HAMBURG, Germany (AP) Hamburg SV has promoted under-23 coach Josef ''Joe'' Zinnbauer to first-team manager on Tuesday after sacking Mirko Slomka the day before.
The Bundesliga club said on its website that the 44-year-old was given the position ''until further notice,'' and will be assisted by former youth coach Patrick Rahmen. He is Hamburg's fifth coach in three-and-a-half years.
''Joe has shown that he can quickly mold a team from a group of players through his work and results with our under-23s in the (fourth-tier) Regionalliga Nord,'' said Hamburg chairman Dietmar Beiersdorfer, referring to eight wins from eight games.
Zinnbauer and his new team of coaching staff take over on Wednesday.
''I am convinced they will do our team well,'' Beiersdorfer said.
Zinnbauer's first game in charge will be at home to defending champion Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Slomka was fired late Monday after the club's poor start to the season. Hamburg is scoreless in three Bundesliga games and bottom of the table.
The 47-year-old Slomka just saved Hamburg from relegation last season following the dismissals of predecessors Bert van Marwijk and Thorsten Fink. His last game was a 3-0 loss at his former club Hannover on Sunday. In 16 Bundesliga games he lost 10, drew three and won just three.
Hamburg is the only side to have played each season in the Bundesliga since the league was formed in 1963.
The club has failed to win any of its three opening Bundesliga games for the past four seasons.
