Reports: Inter Milan fires Andrea Stramaccioni

Inter Milan finished in ninth place in Serie A under Andrea Stramaccioni, who took over in March 2012.

/AP

MILAN (AP) -- Inter Milan reportedly fired coach Andrea Stramaccioni on Friday, five days after concluding Serie A with a highly disappointing ninth-place finish.

Stramaccioni was informed of the decision, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport and the ANSA news agency, although Inter did not immediately announce the move.

Walter Mazzarri, who stepped down as Napoli manager last weekend, was already being tapped as the likely replacement.

Having never coached in Serie A before, Stramaccioni was hired in March last year to replace the fired Claudio Ranieri. He led Inter to a sixth-place finish last season but this campaign has been marred by a series of injuries, including serious setbacks for key players Diego Milito and Javier Zanetti, the club's 39-year-old captain.

Stramaccioni's contract was due to expire in 2015.

Only 36 when he was hired, Stramaccioni was one of the youngest coaches to manage in Serie A.

Inter lost 5-2 to Udinese in its last match of the season and went winless in its last five games.

The Nerazzurri lost as many matches, 16, as it won this campaign.