BREMEN, Germany (AP) — Werder Bremen fired Horst Steffen as coach on Sunday after a 10-game run without a win in the Bundesliga.
“It was a tough decision, but we are no longer convinced of the fact that Horst was the person to spark the team’s turnaround following this long run without victory,” sporting director Clemens Fritz said. “This realization was a bitter pill to swallow, since we truly value Horst.”
Bremen hired Steffen last summer from second-division Elversberg, which he led from the fourth tier almost to the Bundesliga, only missing out on promotion to the top division because of a late goal in a playoff.
Bremen had fired its previous coach, Ole Werner, because he declined to extend his contract. Werner is now the Leipzig coach.
Steffen’s final game in charge was Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Borussia Mönchengladbach, earned with a stoppage-time goal, but still a result that leaves the team just one point above the relegation zone.
“Therefore, we have decided to relieve Horst of his duties,” Fritz said.
Altogether, Bremen managed just four wins, seven draws, and nine defeats in the Bundesliga. The team was knocked out in the first round of the German Cup.
The club said assistants Raphael Duarte and Christian Groß will take over on an interim basis. Bremen next faces Freiburg away.
“We are working intensively to find a new head coach and will take the requisite amount of time in order to pinpoint the best solution for Werder,” Fritz said.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Bremen's head coach Horst Steffen applauds after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Bremen, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Carmen Jaspersen/dpa via AP)
Bremen's head coach Horst Steffen during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Bremen, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Carmen Jaspersen/dpa via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — The Washington Wizards selected forward AJ Dybantsa, who led the nation in scoring in his one season at BYU, with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft on Tuesday night.
Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, highlighted by a 43-point effort that broke BYU's freshman scoring record.
At 6-foot-9 and 217 pounds, Dybantsa has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant, who happens to be his favorite player. Durant grew up in the Washington area, and Wizards fans can only hope Dybantsa can live up to the comparisons.
They certainly hope he will be better than center Kwame Brown, the pick Washington made in 2001, the first time it had the No. 1 selection after the NBA changed draft formats to eliminate territorial picks in 1966. The Wizards took John Wall in 2010 the other time, and he did turn into an All-Star.
He appeared to say a quick prayer after his name was announced, then went on stage to greet Commissioner Adam Silver and slipped on a black Wizards hat that matched nicely with his black suit.
Dybantsa beat out fellow freshman Darryn Peterson of Kansas, who was taken at the No. 2 pick by Utah. While some thought Peterson had the most talent in the class, the guard missed 11 games during the season because of injuries and illness, potentially creating some questions that Dybantsa didn't have.
Cameron Boozer, the college player of the year in his one season at Duke, was taken at No. 3 by Memphis. Caleb Wilson, another freshman forward from rival North Carolina, went to Chicago with the next pick.
Those players were the expected top four throughout the pre-draft process, though there was certainly a case for Peterson to go first with his promise. Or for Boozer, with his body of work after he put up 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for Duke, where his father, Carlos, also played before becoming a two-time NBA All-Star.
The uncertainty was expected to begin at No. 5. The Los Angeles Clippers acquired the rights to it after a trade with the Indiana Pacers and used it on Illinois guard Keaton Wagler. The host Brooklyn Nets then went with Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Cameron Boozer, right, poses for a photo with Adam Silver, left, NBA Commissioner, after being selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Darryn Peterson is interviewed after being chosen by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
AJ Dybantsa, right, poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, left, after being selected by the Washington Wizards as the first pick in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
AJ Dybantsa arrives for the first round of the NBA basketball draft Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
AJ Dybantsa arrives for the first round of the NBA basketball draft Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Prospective draftees pose for a group photo with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, center, before the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
FILE - Kansas guard Darryn Peterson (22) works against Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arizona, Feb. 28, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)
