"It is the most difficult situation in the club's Bundesliga history," club president Erwin Staudt told reporters. "We looked for solutions with the coaching staff but after a lot of discussions with the board we decided to go our separate ways."
Assistant coach Jens Keller has taken over until the end of the season with the task of keeping Stuttgart in the top flight.
"Our focus is to remain in the Bundesliga. This is why the team around Keller will receive our full backing," Staudt said.
"I did not hesitate for a second when I was asked last night if I could imagine taking over," the 39-year-old Keller said during his official presentation.
"The team has enough potential to push themselves out of the dirt. There is not a lot of time before the Schalke game (on Saturday) so we need to get started," he said.
