Relegation-threatened Union Berlin parted ways with coach Nenad Bjelica on Monday, a day after the Bundesliga club's president had given the Croatian his backing.
Union lost 4-3 at home to relegation rivals Bochum on Sunday and sit one point and one place above the relegation play-off spot with two games to play.
Bjelica only took the job in November after Urs Fischer was sacked after a poor run, despite securing a first ever Champions League berth the season before.
A club statement said Marco Grote, together with existing assistant coach Marie-Louise Eta, is being placed in temporary charge for the last two games - including Saturday's crunch relegation clash at lowly Cologne.
Grote was previously in charge between Fischer and Bjelica.
"In the fight to stay in the Bundesliga, we need to show the strength of our entire club. We trust Marco Grote and his team to lead our players back to their best," Union president Dirk Zingler said in a statement.
On Sunday, before the Bochum loss, Zingler had told DAZN: "Nenad Bjelica has our full support." This followed media reports saying a coaching change would be made.
Bjelica was a surprise choice to replace club icon Fischer given the former Kaiserslautern player had no coaching experience in Germany or outside his Croatian homeland at the top level.
Under Bjelica, Union initially improved but the Croatian caused a stir in January when he grabbed Bayern Munich's Leroy Sané in the face and was banned for three matches.
Media reports said Union were close to sacking him then but have now decided to act, with results also tailing off.
"I would like to thank Nenad Bjelica and his team for the work they have done," Zingler added in the statement.
"They succeeded in stabilizing the team in an extremely difficult situation, with the outcome that staying up is in our own hands."
Cologne, in the automatic relegation places, are six points behind Union and must beat the Berliners on Saturday to have a chance of staying up.
Union - in the Bundesliga for five seasons - are more in a battle with third-bottom Mainz, who occupy the relegation play-off spot but are in good form.