Dutt dismissed by Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen have sacked coach Robin Dutt in the wake of yesterday's 2-0 Bundesliga defeat at home to Freiburg. The club announced this morning that reserve team coach Sami Hyypia, the former Liverpool defender, and U-19 coach Sascha Lewandowski would take charge of the side until the end of the season. Yesterday's loss was Leverkusen's fourth league defeat in a row, while the club were also beaten 7-1 on aggregate by Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. Dutt's assistants Damir Buric and Marco Langner have also left the club. Leverkusen are currently sixth in the Bundesliga with 40 points, only in a UEFA Europa League qualifying berth on goal difference ahead of both Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg, while Hannover can move above them later today. Former Finland international Hyypia spent ten years at Anfield, winning two FA Cups, two League Cups, the UEFA Cup and, most memorably, the Champions League in 2005. The 38-year-old told Leverkusen's website: "I know the team and firmly believe in them. We - Sascha Lewandowski and I - want to show an unsettled team ways to bring success back to Bayer Leverkusen." Managing director Wolfgang Holzhauser said: "We simply had to act and send a signal in order to pursue our goal of qualifying for Europe with fresh impetus." Sporting director Rudi Voller added: "With the team of Hyypia/Lewandowski we want to turn things around and get back on track."