Czech coach Leos Kalvoda has been sacked by Slovakian champions MŠK Zilina after their early exit from the UEFA Champions League and disappointing start to the domestic season.

Bright start
Zilina started the first division campaign brightly, recording three wins and a draw. However, they have since lost two league games in a row and been eliminated from the the second qualifying round of the Champions League. Zilina lost 4-1 on aggregate to Swiss side FC Basel.

'Need new momentum'
"We have not been playing the aggressive football which brought us success last season," said club manager Karol Belaník. "We need new momentum."

Kalvoda suprised
The 44-year-old Kalvoda had only joined the club in January and took Zilina on an impressive run that culiminated in the first title in the club's history. "I am surprised," said Kalvoda after his dismissal. "We are third in the table and not far behind."

Two main candidates
Zilina president Ján Slota has suggested that the club's new coach will again come from the Czech Republic. The former AC Sparta Praha coach Jaroslav Hrebík and Jirí Kotrba, fired by FC Príbram two weeks ago, are the top candidates. In the meantime, Kalvoda's assistant Jaroslav Rybár will lead the team.