Frank Schaefer is stepping down immediately as coach of struggling Bundesliga club Cologne.
Schaefer already had said he would leave the job at the end of the season, citing ''personal reasons.''
But Cologne spokesman Christopher Lymberopoulos says on Wednesday he's decided to quit ''with immediate effect.''
Sports director Volker Finke is to take over for the season's remaining three matches. Schaefer took over in October after Zvonimir Soldo was fired.
Cologne faces a battle to avoid relegation after a 4-1 weekend defeat by Wolfsburg.
The club has only three more points than Wolfsburg, which is third from bottom. The team that finishes in that spot faces a two-leg playoff against the second division's third-place club to preserve its topflight status.
