Parker sacked by Club Brugge after just 12 matches at the helm

Scott Parker has been sacked by Club Brugge after the Belgian side crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of Benfica on Tuesday night.

Ex-Bournemouth and Fulham boss Parker, 42, oversaw only two victories from his 12 matches in charge.

And the former Charlton and West Ham midfielder has now been axed twice in the same campaign after the Cherries decided to part ways with the Englishman earlier in the season following a 9-0 loss at Liverpool.

Parker has been known to prefer open, attacking football but his Brugge side fell way short of expectations in the last 16 of Europe's top competition.

A humbling 2-0 defeat at home was followed by a 5-1 thumping in Lisbon which proved to be the final straw for his time in charge.

His demeanour and energy were at an all-time low in his post-match press conference and he appeared a defeated man.

Asked about his future, he said after the final whistle: "I am not sure. I am not in control of that.

"I understand why you are asking me that question and it has probably been aimed at me for some weeks now.

"I can't really control that. I am not in that position to understand it and you are asking probably the wrong person.

"What I am is fully committed in trying to turn this around and that is what I will try to do."

Brugge sit a mammoth 21 points off Belgian Pro League leaders Genk after they capitulated 3-0 at strugglers Oostende last Friday.

The defending champions will now search for a new head coach before Saturday's visit of Standard, with ex-Ajax coach Alfred Schreuder a front-runner to take the reins.

A club statement said: "Parker was announced as the new head coach of Club Brugge on December 31 last year.

"The English ex-international previously worked for Fulham and Bournemouth and replaced Carl Hoefkens at the club. In 12 games, the Briton could only win two times."