Gelsenkirchen, Germany  - Schalke 04 Monday parted company with general manager Andreas Mueller after poor results this season, but Dutch coach Fred Rutten stays on, the Bundesliga club said.

Mueller, 46, leaves the club in Gelsenkirchen after almost 21 years as a player and manager following talks with president Josef Schnusenberg and supervisory board chairman Clemens Toennies.

"Mueller has been relieved of his duties. It's a unanimous decision by the supervisory board," Toennies said.

"We offered him the opportunity to resign but he did not accept it."

In a disappointing season, Schalke, third in the league last season, are lying eighth in the table, nine points behind leaders Hertha Berlin.

They were recently knocked out of the German Cup by second- division Mainz, were eliminated at the third qualifying round of the Champions League and failed to progress beyond the group stage of the UEFA Cup.

Mueller has been general manager since succeeding Rudi Assauer in May 2006, while Rutten was appointed coach before the season after Mirko Slomka had been dismissed in April last year. (dpa)