Jena, May 23, 2026. Following the missed promotion to the 3. Liga, FC Carl Zeiss Jena is facing a personnel realignment on the coaching bench. As Sporting Director Miroslav Jovic confirmed, head coach Volkan Uluc will leave the club after the upcoming cup final against ZFC Meuselwitz.
- Club: FC Carl Zeiss Jena
- Current situation: Search for a new head coach for the 2026/27 Regionalliga season
- Departure: Volkan Uluc (contract ends after the cup final)
- Next match: Thüringenpokal final against ZFC Meuselwitz
- Sporting management: Sporting Director Miroslav Jovic
Search for a successor in full swing
The failure to achieve promotion to the third-highest division seals the end of Volkan Uluc’s tenure. The focus is now entirely on the future: Sporting Director Miroslav Jovic is intensively busy defining the sporting requirement profile for the new coach and conducting initial talks. According to club circles, there is no shortage of potential candidates who want to take over the ambitious Regionalliga side.
However, the most important milestone before the final overhaul remains the upcoming cup final against ZFC Meuselwitz. With a victory, Uluc wants to bid a proper farewell and simultaneously secure the club’s participation in the lucrative DFB-Pokal. For the subsequent restart, well-known figures and experienced coaches are already being discussed in the club’s environment, though an official decision is still pending.
Background: Sporting tradition at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld
FC Carl Zeiss Jena plays its home matches at the historic Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld, which is idyllically located in the Jenaer Paradiespark on the Saale. Since the club’s founding in 1903, fans have experienced numerous highs and lows – from GDR championships and reaching the European Cup final in 1981 to tough battles in the Regionalliga. The modernization of the stadium in recent years is also intended to pave the infrastructural basis for a swift return to professional football.
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Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.