Serie A's bottom side Novara Calcio have parted company with coach Attilio Tesser and have appointed Emiliano Mondonico in his stead.

The club made the switch in the wake of Sunday's 2-0 loss at US Città di Palermo, Novara's fifth straight defeat in all competitions. The Piedmont team prop up the table and are seven points from safety after 20 games.

After taking charge in 2009, Tesser enjoyed immediate success, guiding Novara to back-to-back promotions and into Serie A for the first time in 55 years. Despite a good start to the season – including a famous 3-1 win against FC Internazionale Milano in September – his side endured a poor run of form, culminating in his dismissal.

Mondonico, 64, is most famous for leading Torino FC to the 1992 UEFA Cup final, which they lost to AFC Ajax, and for lifting the Coppa Italia with the same team the next year. He left Serie B outfit UC AlbinoLeffe last January when diagnosed with cancer, but has returned to management after winning his battle with the disease.