Kashima Antlers announced the dismissal of manager Toninho Cerezo on Tuesday due to the team’s poor results over the 2015 season, with Masatada Ishii to replace him.

Japan’s most successful club have started the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League’s second stage in indifferent fashion, with their 2-0 defeat at Matsumoto Yamaga last Sunday prompting the decision to release the Brazilian.

Cerezo was in his second stint at Kashima Stadium but only managed an eighth-place finish in the first stage; Antlers winning just six games while drawing four and losing seven.

The outfit also bowed out of the AFC Champions League bottom of Group H following three consecutive defeats in their opening matches.

Former midfielder and current first-team coach Ishii has now been promoted to be the club’s new manager by Antlers.