Lothar Matthaeus dismissed as Bulgaria coach

Lothar Matthaeus was fired Monday as Bulgaria coach after leading the team to only five points from seven European Championship qualifying matches.

Bulgarian football union president Borislav Mihailov said that despite a previous agreement to extend the 50-year-old German football great's contract through World Cup qualifying, the union changed its mind after qualifying losses to England and Switzerland.

''There were many reasons to release Matthaeus, not only the poor results in the last matches,'' said Mihailov, adding no compensation will be paid. ''Pressure and negativity had also piled up in the squad, so the change was necessary.''

Matthaeus was not immediately available for comments.

Under-21 coach Mihail Madanski has been named acting coach and will lead the team in the next Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales next month.

Bulgaria failed to qualify for Euro 2012 from Group G.

Matthaeus had pledged to take Bulgaria to Euro 2012 when he took over in September 2010. He was the second foreigner to take over as coach of Bulgaria after Rudolf Vitlacil, a Czech who led the team in 1964-66.

Matthaeus coached Hungary without much success in 2004-05 and has held coaching jobs with a number of clubs, including Partizan Belgrade, Rapid Vienna and Red Bull Salzburg.

The midfielder played a record 150 games for Germany and West Germany, leading the team to the World Cup title in 1990 and the 1986 final. He played 302 matches for Bayern Munich and won the UEFA Cup.