Marc Wilmots has been sacked as Belgium’s head coach.
The 47-year-old had been leading the national team since 2012 and managed to guide the team to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup.
This summer, Belgium reached the quarter-finals once again but were knocked out with a surprise 3-1 defeat to Wales.
Wilmots' contract was set to expire after the 2018 World Cup but the Belgian Football Association believes the team "needs a new impulse" ahead of their qualifying campaign.
A statement from the Belgian FA read: “We would like to thank Marc Wilmots for his work during the last four years.
“With Marc Wilmots as a head coach, the Red Devils have climbed from the 54th position to the top of the Fifa World Ranking. He managed to win 34 games out of 51, including eight draws. Above all, the fans have reinstalled their love for the Belgian Red Devils during this period.
“The RBFA’s Technical Commission have made an evaluation of the recent UEFA Euro 2016 and have declared that the intended goals have not been reached.
“There is a common sense that the team needs a new impulse to lead this group towards a top result at a major tournament.
“The Belgian FA will immediately start the procedure to find a new head coach, in a transparent way. The idea is to start the upcoming games in September with a new coach, beginning with an international friendly game in Brussels against Spain on the 1st of September.”
