Fortuna set to smile on Meier

Fortuna Dusseldorf coach Norbert Meier looks set to keep his job despite the club's relegation to the second division after only one season in the Bundesliga.

A 12-game winless streak cost Fortuna dearly as they went down after a 3-0 defeat to Hannover on the final day of the league season, but Meier, who took charge of the club in 2008, is likely to be given the chance to lead them back up again.

"Norbert Meier has a contract until 2014 and we have no intention, either today or tomorrow, of making any other decision, contrary to reports," the club's president Peter Freymuth said.

"There is not going to be any knee-jerk reaction."

Freymuth will hold talks with Meier and the club's director of sport Wolf Werner in the coming days to resolve the coach's future and he understands the calls for a change to be made.

"That's perfectly normal," he said. "When you only get nine points in the second half of the season, then there is bound to be lots of discussion and criticism.

"You have just got to live with that."

And Meier says he has no intention of abandoning a sinking ship.

"Fortuna is far more for me than just a football club," he is quoted as telling sport.de.

"When you see the fans here and experience this, then that (resigning) does not even cross your mind."