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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Bologna fire Inzaghi and appoint Mihajlovic

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Torino vs Napoli - Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, Turin, Italy - December 16, 2017 Torino coach Sinisa Mihajlovic before the match REUTERS/Massimo Pinc/File Photo

MILAN (Reuters) - Struggling Bologna fired coach Filippo Inzaghi after seven months in charge on Monday and replaced him with Sinisa Mihajlovic who is back for a second stint at the Serie A club.

Inzaghi was dismissed one day after his side lost 4-0 at home to second-bottom Frosinone, leaving the seven-times Italian champions stuck in the relegation zone, with a performance described by club president Joey Saputo as "pitiful".

The 45-year-old ex-AC Milan and Italy forward, the eighth Serie A coaching victim of the season, has managed just two wins in 21 league games this term and none in the last 14 outings.

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Bologna - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - September 26, 2018 Bologna coach Filippo Inzaghi before the match REUTERS/Massimo Pinca/File Photo

"The club sends its heartfelt thanks to Filippo Inzaghi for the work he carried out with professionalism and passion," said Bologna in a statement.

The 49-year-old Mihajlovic, who by coincidence also replaced Inzaghi at AC Milan in 2015, began his coaching career at Bologna in 2008-09 although he lasted only six months.

Since then, the Serb -- famous for scoring spectacular free kicks as a player -- has coached Catania, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, AC Milan and Torino in Serie A and Serbia's national team.

Mihajlovic, who has a contract until the end of the season with an option for another term, was sacked by Portuguese club Sporting in June after only nine days without having taken charge of a match.

He was appointed days before Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho was voted out of office and the new administration cancelled his contract.

Bologna, who won the last of their Serie A titles in 1964, are third from bottom of the standings with 14 points, one point above Frosinone but three adrift of the safety zone.

(Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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