Gianfranco Zola has been sacked as coach of relegation-threatened Cagliari after just 10 games and less than three months in charge of the Serie A club.
The former West Ham and Watford manager was appointed in December to replace Zdenek Zeman, who is among a list of candidates - which also includes Claudio Ranieri and Walter Zenga - who are reportedly in line to replace him.
In a statement, the Sardinia club said: "Cagliari announce that Gianfranco Zola and his staff have been relieved of the technical leadership of the first team.
"It was a decision which was taken reluctantly against a great man who has written unforgettable pages in the history of Cagliari, bringing brilliance and giving international prestige to the land of Sardinia."
The former Napoli, Chelsea and Italy forward, who finished his playing career at the club in 2005, managed just two wins and two draws from his 10 games in charge, leaving Cagliari joint 18th in the 20-team table, four points adrift of safety.
