Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked by AC Milan after less than a season in charge on Tuesday, with youth team coach Cristian Brocchi taking charge for the remainder of the campaign.
A club statement said the former Sampdoria, Lazio, Inter Milan and Yugoslavia player had been relieved of his duties.
“The club would like to thank Mihajlovic for the dedication and hard work carried out this season,” the statement said on Milan’s website.
The decision followed a meeting between club president Silvio Berlusconi, chief executive Adriano Galliani and Brocchi on Monday evening, according to media reports in Italy.
Mihajlovic’s final game in charge proved to be Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Serie A leaders Juventus, Milan’s fifth consecutive league game without a win.
Seven-times European champions Milan are sixth in the table and are almost certain to miss out on the Uefa Champions League for a third successive season.
Milan have fallen from grace since they last won Serie A in 2011, going through a succession of managers.
Former greats Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi both endured disappointingly short spells in the San Siro hot seat before Mihajlovic was hired to try and revive their fortunes.
Mihajlovic, a European Cup winner with Red Star Belgrade in 1991, found himself under pressure immediately though after a dreadful start to the season.
They lost four of their first seven games as players struggled to adapt to his motivational methods and Mihajlovic was openly critical of some of the performances.
Results did improve and Milan have reached the Coppa Italia final but the recent slump in league form has proved the final straw and the club find themselves in limbo yet again.
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