Kashima Antlers have come to a mutual agreement with manager Rene Weiler on the termination of his contract, the J. League first-division side announced Sunday.
Antlers have drawn three and lost two of their last five games under the 48-year-old Swiss, with their last victory a 2-1 July 2 win against Kashiwa Reysol.
They entered Sunday's game fourth in the 18-team table with 40 points, eight behind leaders Yokohama F. Marinos, with a first league title in six seasons looking unlikely.
Antlers won 11, drew seven and lost six in 24 J1 matches under Weiler. Kashima entered the summer break in second place, but struggled to get points after sending their most prolific scorer, Ayase Ueda, to Belgian top-flight club Cercle Brugge in July.
Weiler, who arrived in Japan in March, was the first European to fill the top job at Antlers, who have only had Japanese or Brazilian managers since the J. League played its first season in 1993. His dismissal after just six months marks the shortest tenure of a Kashima manager.
