The former Dutch international has paid the price for the Istanbul giants enduring one of the worst starts to a season in their 111-year history.

The 47-year-old Cocu, who only took over in June, has seen Fenerbahçe, one of the country’s traditional footballing powerhouses, slump to 15th in the Turkish Süper Lig, just one spot above the relegation zone.

The club made the announcement on Twitter after suffering a 3-1 defeat at home to Ankaragücü, their fifth defeat in the ten games played so far this season.

Cocu, who had a distinguished playing career with Barcelona and the Netherlands, coached PSV Eindhoven with considerable success between 2013 and 2018, carrying them to three Eredivisie titles before joining Fenerbahçe on a three-year deal.