ROME – Russia head coach Fabio Capello has seen his contract with the national side “terminated” following a run of disappointing     results.

 

  The former England manager has been relieved of his duties with the Russian national team after a string of poor results in their attempt to qualify for the European Championships in France in the summer of 2016.

 

  Having spent three years with Russia, the 69-year-old Capello signed a four-year contract extension in 2014 that would have kept him as head coach until after the 2018 World Cup, incidentally staged in Russia. However the Italian and the Russian Football Union (RFU) “reached an agreement to terminate his contract by mutual consent" on Tuesday.

 

  Russia under Capello have only eight points from six games in qualifying for Euro 2016 and failed to win a game at the previous World Cup in Brazil, prompting supporters last month to launch a campaign to buy the decorated Italian manager out of his contract.

 

  The buyout fee is believed to have been in the region of 15m euros according to reports in Russia with Capello’s annual salary valued at around seven million euros a year making him the sixth highest earner among football managers.

 

  Russia’s 1-0 defeat to Austria last month now means that they will most likely face the added pressure of a play-off if they want to reach the finals in France and progress from a reasonably straightforward group that includes Montenegro and Moldova.

 

  It remains unknown who will most likely take the helm for the remaining fixtures.