AJACCIO, France (AP) Ajaccio coach Fabrizio Ravanelli was dismissed after the team lost 3-1 to Valenciennes to drop to 19th place in the French league on Saturday.
Ravanelli told Canal Plus television "it hurts but that's life" following Ajaccio's fifth straight loss in all competitions.
Ajaccio barely avoided relegation last season with a 17th-place finish. The Corsican club signed Ravanelli in the offseason.
As a player, Ravanelli won the Champions League with Juventus in 1996.
"When things don't work, the only solution unfortunately is a change of coach," club president Alain Orsoni told a news conference. "Relegation would be a catastrophe. We're looking for a solution."
