Rio de Janeiro, Oct 14 (IANS): Brazilian football giants Palmeiras have sacked coach Alexi 'Cuca' Stival after a 2-2 draw with relegation-threatened Bahia in the Serie A.
"It was mutually agreed to end this cycle with the coach and we wish him well in the future," the Sao Paulo club said in a statement on Friday.
Last December, Cuca guided Palmeiras to their first top-flight title in 22 years before stepping down for personal reasons, reports Xinhua news agency.
He was reappointed in May following the dismissal of Eduardo Baptista.
Thursday's defeat to Bahia left Palmeiras' 14 points adrift of leaders Corinthians, all but dashing their title hopes with 11 matches remaining in the season.
Assistant coach Alberto Valentim will take charge of the nine-time Brazilian champions on an interim basis, starting with an away clash against Atletico Goianiense on Sunday.