Stuttgart - Fredi Bobic has been relieved of his duties as VfB Stuttgart sporting director, the club have confirmed.

'Negative trend'

The decision comes just hours before the Bundesliga's bottom club are due to take on Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park.

"What was decisive in this decision was the continuing negative trend," said chairman of VfB's supervisory board Joachim Schmidt. "As things are, we don't see any possibility of making a positive, sustainable improvement."

Bobic, a former Germany international who spent five years on the books at Stuttgart as a player, took up the position in July 2010.

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