European champions Real Madrid have sacked Julen Lopetegui as manager after the Spaniard’s disappointing four and a half month stint in charge at the Bernabeu.
The decision comes just over 24 hours after Real Madrid were thrashed 5-1 in El Clasico by arch-rivals Barcelona.
The Galacticos, losers of 5 of their last 6 games, are floundering in 9th place on the table after their worst start to a season in 17 years.
The 52-year-old Lopetegui will be “provisionally replaced” by former Real striker Santiago Solari, the current coach of the B team Castilla.
Real have 14 out of a possible 30 points in the league this season and have taken only one from their past five matches – their worst run since they went pointless in the final five games of 2008-09 under Juande Ramos.
They are now six points above the Spanish top flight’s relegation places, and seven behind leaders Barcelona.
A club statement said “there is a great disproportion between the quality of the staff of Real Madrid” and “the results obtained to date”.
Solari meanwhile has a favourable run of fixtures for the start of his tenure, beginning with a Spanish Cup match against Segunda Division B Group 4 side Melilla on Wednesday.
Real then play Valladolid – sixth in La Liga – on Saturday, Group G’s bottom side Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on November 7, and the mid-table Celta Vigo the following Sunday.
It is the second time Lopetegui, who succeeded Zinedine Zidane in June, has been sacked this year having been dismissed by Spain two days before the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup World Cup in Russia.