Pescara have dismissed head coach Cristiano Bergodi in the wake of today's Serie A defeat to Udinese.

A solitary Antonio Di Natale goal condemned Pescara to a seventh defeat in eight games that leaves the east-coast outfit five points from safety at the bottom of the Serie A table, where they are in a three-way tie for last place with Siena and Palermo.

A statement on Pescara's official website read: "Pescara announce the dismissal of first-team coach Cristiano Bergodi. The club thanks the coach for his hard work and the passion he showed in carrying out the role. The club can also confirm that the name of his successor will be revealed in the next 24 hours."

Bergodi, 48, spent eight seasons as a player with Pescara but registered just three wins and one draw as coach since replacing Giovanni Stroppa on November 20, with ten matches going against the Delfini during his brief reign.

Despite consistently poor results, club president Daniele Sebastiani continued to back Bergodi in public and rejected suggestions he would turn to Zdenek Zeman, who was sacked by Roma last month. The Czech tactician guided Pescara back into the top flight after a 19-year absence, his young side scoring a record-breaking 90 goals in the process, and he remains an iconic figure in Abruzzo.

Bergodi's successor will start his tenure with a trip to Atalanta before overseeing daunting games with Juventus, Napoli and AC Milan in the 11-game season run-in.