Andries Jonker became the first Bundesliga head coach to be sacked this season when Wolfsburg replaced him with ex-Mainz boss Martin Schmidt on Monday.

“I am grateful that Martin Schmidt accepted at such short notice,” said Wolfsburg’s director of sport Olaf Rebbe. “We are convinced, due to his experience and strengths that he will fit in well at VfL Wolfsburg. From the first contact until the signing (of the contract) only took a few hours,” he added with Schmidt having signed until 2019.

Swiss coach Schmidt spent seven years at Mainz, where he was promoted to head coach in February 2015, but was dismissed after poor results in May when the team finished just clear of the relegation places.

Wolfsburg have opted for a quick change in their coaching team.

The 54-year-old Jonker took charge in February, when he quit as boss of Arsenal’s youth academy, and managed to keep Wolfsburg up last season after winning a relegation play-off in May. However, Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at VfB Stuttgart proved to be the last straw.

Jonker’s entire backroom staff, including assistant coach and Arsenal legend Fredrik Ljungberg, have also been fired after taking four points from their first four games this season.

Schmidt will take his first session on Monday evening ahead of Tuesday’s Bundesliga match at home to Werder Bremen, which is followed by a tough away match at Bayern Munich on Friday.

“We have two difficult games ahead of us this week, but we didn’t want to implement a caretaker solution, rather install a new head-coach with immediate effect,” explained Rebbe.

A statement by Wolfsburg’s supervisory board said they felt the team’s development had stagnated under Jonker.

“Decisive for us in taking this step was not just the impression made upon us during the game against Stuttgart, but rather based upon the perception of stagnated development amongst the team, which was to a great extent newly formed during the summer,” said Wolfsburg’s board.

“We expressly wish to thank Andries Jonker and his coaching staff, for rescuing VfL’s position in the top-flight at the last minute at the end of last season.”