Kaiserslautern coach Erik Gerets said he feared the four-times German champions would continue to struggle after they opened their UEFA Cup campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Czech side Teplice.

"This is not the first disappointment and it will probably not be the last," Belgian Gerets said after his men fell to their fourth home defeat of the season in Wednesday's first round, first leg match.

"Of course talks about a crisis will go on," added Gerets, whose own position looks increasingly uncomfortable. "After such a dismal performance that's normal."

Kaiserslautern, who have Malta international striker Michael Mifsud on their books, lost to the same opponents in the Intertoto Cup last year, effectively sealing the fate of then coach Andreas Brehme.

"You can think what you want from the bench but when you witness such a performance you go crazy," Gerets said of Wednesday's match. "We should be ashamed of ourselves."

Kaiserslautern, who fought battles against relegation and financial collapse last season, remain in deep trouble. They started the season with three points deducted for breaching licensing rules and are 13th in the Bundesliga after six games.