Fortuna Düsseldorf dismissed head coach Alexander Ende on Sunday, October 18, 2026, following a 1–3 home defeat to 1. FC Saarbrücken that left the club in the 3. Liga, sources reported.
Defeat Against Saarbrücken Triggers Dismissal
The decision to part ways with Ende and assistant coach Zlatko Muhović came after intensive deliberations led by Sportvorstand Samir Arabi. The dismissal followed a Saturday afternoon match where Düsseldorf was defeated by 1. FC Saarbrücken despite overwhelming superiority. Sources noted that club officials met in the hours following the loss before confirming the termination on Sunday. Ende had taken charge of the professional squad in April but failed to prevent relegation from the 2. Liga, leaving the club in the 3. Liga with 14 points from ten matches. Wir bedanken uns bei Alexander Ende und Zlatko Muhović für ihren Fleiß und ihren Einsatz für Fortuna,
Arabi stated, adding, Gleichzeitig sind wir nach eingehender Analyse zu der Überzeugung gelangt, dass wir jetzt einen neuen Impuls setzen müssen.
Ende responded in the club statement by saying, Ich respektiere die Entscheidung des Vereins, bedauere sie aber auch gleichzeitig. Ich hatte den festen Glauben, dass die Arbeit und die Entwicklung der letzten Wochen uns zum gemeinsamen Ziel geführt hätten.
Following the dismissals of Daniel Thioune and Markus Anfang during the relegation season, the club enacted another coaching change in the 3. Liga, ending Ende’s six-month tenure.
🚨💥 Alexander Ende to Fortuna Düsseldorf – DONE DEAL ✔️46 y/o will replace Markus Anfang. He will sign a contract until 2028. Ende enjoys a very good reputation and was most recently in charge of Preußen Münster until March. Final details are still being clarified.… pic.twitter.com/KyMMAWURDp
Struggles With Consistency After Relegation
Despite flashes of strong football, Ende’s side suffered from defensive lapses and recurring momentum shifts. The team squandered leads in multiple fixtures, including a 2–2 draw against Verl and a match in Münster prior to the recent international break. Sources highlighted that while the squad was almost entirely rebuilt following the 2. Liga relegation, management concluded that a fresh impulse was necessary to address the persistent lack of stability. After ten matches, the team suffered four defeats, recording four wins and two unbeatens alongside four losses, placing them ninth in the standings with a four-point gap behind the promotion playoff spot.
Jens Langeneke Takes Over Until Further Notice
U23 coach Jens Langeneke will step into the role on an interim basis ahead of the team’s upcoming fixture at Hansa Rostock. Langeneke joined Fortuna as a player in 2006, achieved promotions to the 2. Liga in 2009 and the Bundesliga in 2012, and has worked within the club’s youth academy since 2015. Arabi stated that Langeneke’s familiarity with the organization earned him the opportunity to lead the team. Langeneke inherits a team sitting in the 3. Liga, with kickoff scheduled for Saturday at 14:00 local time in Rostock. Unlike previous coaching changes involving Thioune and Ende’s predecessor Markus Anfang in mid-April where external solutions were chosen, management turned to an internal appointment in the 49-year-old former central defender and team captain. Following spells with the U17 and U19 teams, he was promoted to coach the U23 side in October 2023, managing them in the Regionalliga West until the double relegation in the summer and continuing through ten Oberliga fixtures. Wir wissen alle, in welcher Situation wir uns befinden,
Langeneke stated. Jetzt geht es darum, Verantwortung zu übernehmen, die Kräfte zu bündeln und auf dem Platz Überzeugung zu zeigen.
He further noted, Ich kenne den Verein, ich kenne die Menschen und weiß, was Fortuna bedeutet.
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