Desperate Vissel Kobe have dismissed manager Akira Nishino with four games left in the season as the Rakuten-owned club fights for its J.League survival.
Vissel announced on Thursday that assistant Ryo Adachi has been promoted to finish what has been another disappointing campaign. Nishino's side lost 2-1 at home to Yokohama F. Marinos on Wednesday, a defeat that left them in 15th place, just two points off the drop zone.
After the international week, Kobe will face FC Tokyo away on Nov. 17.
This is the second managerial change of the season for Vissel, who replaced Masahiro Wada with Nishino in late April. Nishino had spent the last decade building Gamba Osaka into one of the best teams in the league, winning the Asian Champions League in 2008.
Nishino had five wins and six draws from 19 league games during his time in Kobe.