Wolfsburg have parted company with head coach Martin Schmidt by mutual consent after just five wins in 22 matches in charge, the Bundesliga club announced Monday.

The 50-year-old Swiss had only been at the helm for five months.

Schmidt told Wolfsburg he was stepping down "to improve the current situation with new impulses from the coaching bank", the club said in a statement.

Schmidt's last game was Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by runaway league leaders Bayern Munich, who needed a 91st-minute penalty to seal the win.

Wolfsburg say Schmidt walked away to "relieve the increasing public pressure -- and especially against him personally -- on the club".

He took over in September after predecessor Andries Jonker was sacked.

Schmidt leaves with the 2015 German Cup winners 14th in the table and only one point above the relegation play-off place.

The club said a caretaker coach will be announced on Tuesday ahead of Friday's league game at Mainz, who are third from bottom.