Atletico Madrid have sacked coach Abel Resino after a dismal start to the season in domestic and continental action.
Resino saw his side beaten 4-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night to leave them bottom of Group D and facing early elimination from the UEFA Champions League.
Atletico's league form has been little better and they are currently hovering just above the relegation zone with just six points garnered from their opening seven matches.
Resino insisted he would not quit in the wake of the defeat by Chelsea, but president Enrique Cerezo has now decided to act, despite insisting earlier in the week that they had no plans to make changes at the top.
Resino took over as coach of Atletico in February following the dismissal of Javier Aguirre, with the former Rojiblancos goalkeeper initially being put in charge until the end of last season.
DisgruntledResino, who had been in charge of Segunda Division high-flyers Castellon at the time, went on to lead Atletico to a fourth-placed finish last term after winning eight of their final nine games and that earned the 49-year-old an extended stint in the hotseat.
Atletico have not been able to carry that form into this season though, and a 3-0 opening day defeat to Malaga warned of troubled times ahead.
Since then, the nine-times Spanish champions have suffered further heavy losses to Barcelona (5-2) and Osasuna (3-0) in the league, and also incurred the wrath of their increasingly disgruntled fans following disappointing home draws against Racing Santander, Almeria and Apoel Nicosia.
Overall, Resino leaves Atletico in 15th place in the league with six points and the worst goals-against record in the division having conceded 17.
This weekend Atletico play host to Real Mallorca, before facing Marbella in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round of 32 next midweek.
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