Sinisa Mihajlovic has been sacked as coach of Milan and replaced by the youth coach Cristian Brocchi.

The Rossoneri acted after a disappointing campaign left them in sixth place with six games to go. According to the Italian press, the president Silvio Berlusconi met with Brocchi over a three-hour dinner before taking the decision to make him Milan's fifth coach in less than three years.

Mihajlovic apperared to be aware of the development when he said in a midnight tweet: “Thanks for all the love, it was an honour.”

Brocchi was developed in the club’s academy before going on to play for Milan until 2008. He finished his playing career at Lazio in 2013, becoming coach of the Primavera youth team in July 2014 when he took over from Pippo Inzaghi.

Since winning Serie A in 2011, Milan have finished second, third, eighth and 10th and are unlikely to qualify for Europe for a third consecutive season.

Mihajlovic was Milan’s fourth coach in less than two years following Filippo Inzaghi, Massimiliano Allegri and Clarence Seedorf but was unable to stop the rot.

The Serb was appointed on a two-year-deal in June on a reported salary of £1.9m a year from Sampdoria after the former striker Inzaghi was sacked following a year in charge.

The former Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti had rejected offers to return to the Rossoneri and instead agreed to take over at Bayern Munich this summer.

Guardian services