Aitor Karanka has left Birmingham with Blues staring down the barrel of relegation to League One.
The Spaniard has parted ways with the club following their 3-0 Championship home defeat to Bristol City.
He insisted post match last night that there was “no chance” he would quit.
But he has now left City just three points above the drop zone where 22nd-placed Rotherham below them have four games in hand.
Under Karanka, Birmingham have won just twice in 12 Championship games and taken only 13 points from the last 57 available.
They have won just three home games at St Andrew's all season.
And the side have consistently struggled for goals after just 26 in 36 League games.
Karanka, 47, was appointed last July on a three-year deal by City's controversial CEO Xuandong Ren to be the club's sixth manager in less than four years.
But the former Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest boss has so far failed to inspire Birmingham with his pragmatic tactics.
He was backed in January to bring in Sam Cosgrove from Aberdeen for around £2million but the forward is yet to start or score for the strugglers.
Now the club are in grave danger of relegation after previously flirting with the drop under their Far East owners.
Karanka could be followed out of the exit by under-fire CEO Ren.
Ren is very unpopular with fans after falling out with several long-serving staff and previously presided over a nine point deduction for breaching EFL Profitability & Sustainability rules.
