Paul Thompson departs DEL side Schwenninger Wild Wings

Former Great Britain coach Paul Thompson has been sacked by DEL side Schwenninger Wild Wings.

Thompson, 54, moved to Germany last November from Sheffield Steelers, but they finished bottom of the table in 14th.

They sit bottom after 26 games this season, with six wins. Thompson’s last game in charge was a 6-4 home defeat to the Ice Tigers on Sunday.

He is a vastly decorated coach in the UK, having tasted success with the Steelers and Coventry Blaze, who he led to four Elite League titles.

Sports manager Jurgen Rumrich said: “The split was a really tough decision. Both Paul Thompson and Mike Flanagan identified 100% with the Wild Wings and worked hard every day with the goal of getting the team ahead and making them better.

“But in the end we wanted to give a new impetus due to the sporting situation and leave no stone unturned in order to start the second half of the season more successfully.”

Also departing is Thompson’s assistant coach Mike Flanagan, who joined the coaching team earlier this season.