Holland have sacked Danny Blind as manager in the wake of their World Cup qualifying defeat by Bulgaria.

The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has called time on the former defender’s reign after 20 months and 18 matches.

Saturday’s 2-0 defeat in Sofia was Holland’s second in their opening five games in World Cup qualifying Group A and left them in fourth place in the pool, already six points behind the leaders France and three behind second-placed Sweden.

Blind took over the national team from Guus Hiddink in July 2015 but was unable to lead the team to Euro 2016.

A disappointing start to World Cup qualifying, which has included a home defeat by France alongside the Bulgaria one, has left the Dutch in real danger of missing out on a second successive major championship.

Blind was informed of the decision to sack him at a meeting with the KNVB football director, Jean Paul Decossaux, and technical director, Hans van Breukelen on Sunday.

Fred Grim, the Holland Under-21 coach, will take charge of the senior team for Tuesday’s friendly with Italy in Amsterdam as the KNVB begins the search for a new permanent manager.

Decossaux said the governing body were left with no choice but to dismiss Blind due to poor results. “Because the sporting results are disappointing and it will now be difficult to qualify for the World Cup in Russia, we feel unfortunately we have to say goodbye to him,” he told the official website.

Blind said it was “a pity” his stint in charge of the national team had come to such a sorry end.

Blind’s son Daley, the Manchester United defender, paid tribute to his father in a post on Instagram. “Worked at the highest level, a dream for both of us as father and son,” he said. “It was not easy and it has not always been that, but I’m proud of how you’ve always taken responsibility and never gave up!”