Bundesliga club Hanover 96 have slipped further into crisis after sacking sporting director Horst Heldt in the wake of a defeat to Wolfsburg that left staring relegation in the face.

Heldt has long had a difficult relationship with club president Martin Kind, and has been under increasing pressure in recent weeks, as Hanover have picked up just one win and 11 defeats from their last 12 games.

Former Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Doll was drafted in to replace Andre Breitenreiter in January.

But Hanover have been unable to halt their slide and with six games to go, they are bottom of the league, seven points adrift of the relegation playoff spot and 11 points from safety.

"Hanover 96 thanks Horst Heldt for his work and regrets that it ultimately did not lead to the desired results," the club said on its website.

"The aim for the 2018/19 season was to secure a mid-table finish. The sporting leadership insisted that they would achieve this aim with transfers, and that the team was competitive. This appraisal has not proven correct."

Heldt joined Hanover in March 2017, but has endured a strained relationship with his employer ever since.

During his tenure, he reportedly entered talks with both Cologne and Wolfsburg. In both cases, Hanover refused to allow him to leave.

"Hanover 96 now needs a fresh start, and a new sporting director will be hired," the club said.

According to German media website t-online.de, former Hamburg sporting director Dietmar Beiersdorfer is among the favourites to succeed Heldt.