AP

PRAGUE (AP) — Karel Jarolim has been fired as coach of the Czech Republic's national team following a 5-1 loss to Russia in an international friendly.

Jarolim took over in 2016 after the Czechs failed to advance from the group stage of the European Championship in France.

Czech soccer federation chairman Martin Malik says "the situation is unsustainable and we had to act immediately."

No replacement has yet been named.

The 62-year-old Jarolim was under pressure after his team didn't qualify for this year's World Cup in Russia, and it increased after a 2-1 home loss to Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday.

With Jarolim in charge, the national team experienced its two biggest defeats since the country was created in 1993 after the split of Czechoslovakia. Besides the loss to Russia on Monday, the other one was a 4-0 loss to Australia in a friendly in June.

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