Ingolstadt appoint Walpurgis as head coach

German football club Ingolstadt has signed Maik Walpurgis as its new head coach, succeeding the sacked Markus Kauczinski.

Walpurgis, 43, will remain in charge of Ingolstadt until the summer of 2018, the club announced on Saturday, reports Xinhua.

"Maik is a very ambitious coach, who has a clear style of play philosophy that we are convinced of," Ingolstadt's sporting director Thomas Linke said.

"He has also a lot of expertise and experience within his coaching staff. Hence, we are well prepared for the upcoming tasks."

However, the commitment of Walpurgis is a surprising decision, as the 43-year-old coach trained only third division teams. He coached from 2008 until 2013 Sportfreunde Lotte before he joined VfL Osnabruck for two years.

"The Bundesliga has always been a big objective for me," Walpurgis said. "I am spoiling for this challenge and I am absolutely convinced that we can maintain the top-flight status at the end of the season. We will face the task with full commitment, all our passion and courage."

Ingolstadt encounter Darmstadt at the 11th round of Bundesliga on November 19. The "Schanzer" sit with two points from ten games on the 17th place, which is a direct relegation spot.

--IANS

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