Palermo have sacked Gennaro Gattuso and replaced the former Rangers and AC Milan midfielder with Giuseppe Iachini, the Serie B side announced on Wednesday.

Gattuso had been appointed in the summer in the hope he could lead the Sicilian side back to Serie A following their relegation to the second division last season.

However under Gattuso, making his first serious foray into full-time coaching, Palermo had collected just seven points from six games, their latest reverse coming on Tuesday with a 2-1 defeat at Bari.

Palermo club president and owner Maurizio Zamparini, who is known for frequently changing coaches when faced with unsatisfactory results, said: "It is with deep regret that we have had to release Gennaro Gattuso from his position as coach of the squad.

"His first serious coaching position was perhaps too big a responsibility at a club as demanding as Palermo.

"The results have proved us wrong. I have now given Giuseppe Iachini the job of leading us back to Serie A."

According to reports in Italy, Gattuso becomes the 43rd 'victim' of Zamparini in a career which also takes in the businessman's period with Venezia, which he sold in 2002 to buy Palermo.

Under the trigger-happy 72-year-old Palermo has become known as the Italian coach's graveyard.

Last season alone, Palermo had three coaches - two of whom were sacked by Zamparini before being re-hired during the campaign.

Prior to the 2012-2013 campaign Zamparini hired Giuseppe Sannino, who was sacked weeks later and replaced by Gian Piero Gasparini.

Gasparini was then sacked in February 2013 following a string of poor results and replaced by Alberto Malesani, who lasted only three games before Gasparini was recalled.

Gasparini, however, lasted barely a fortnight before Zamparini sacked him on March 11, replacing him with Sannino, who was shown the door in the summer after failing to keep Palermo in the top flight.