Hoffenheim sacks coach Stanislawski after Cup exit

Headline: UPDATE 1-Soccer-Dateline: February 9, 2012

(Updates with club statement and details)

BERLIN, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Hoffenheim have sacked coach Holger Stanislawski after a bad run in the league and their surprise German Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of second-division Greuther Fuerth on Wednesday, the club said on Thursday.

"We have decided to part ways," a club official told Reuters.

Stanislawski had joined from St Pauli in the summer but had seen his new team record only one league win in the last 10 games.

"After long and constructive discussions with him we decided to end our working relationship," said Hoffenheim sports director Ernst Tanner later in a statement. "The latest sporting developments were decisive."

The club's major investor Dietmar Hopp had demanded a spot in the German Cup semi-finals to make amends for their bad league run but instead they went out 1-0 to second-tier Fuerth.

German media have reported that former Hertha Berlin coach Markus Babbel is a likely replacement.

Hoffenheim are eighth in the league on 24 points from 20 games. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Clare Fallon)

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