Atletico Mineiro fired Venezuelan coach Rafael Dudamel on Thursday, less than two months after he took charge and hours after their shock Brazilian Cup defeat by lower league Afogados da Ingazeira.
Dudamel led Venezuela's national team for almost four years but was tempted into club management in January by the Belo Horizonte side.
However, his team were knocked out the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s equivalent of the Europa League, at the qualifying stage last week and were eliminated on penalties from the domestic Cup to complete a disastrous start to the season.
Afogados play in the Pernambuco state league and do not have a place in Brazil’s top four national divisions.
Atletico said their backroom staff would take charge of the team for the next match on Sunday.
(Reporting by Andrew Downie, editing by Ed Osmond)
