Podgorica, Montenegro – Montenegro reacted quickly to a 2-1 defeat against Wales in Euro 2012 qualifying last week, firing coach Zlatko Kranjcar and replacing him with assistant Branko Brnovic.
Kranjcar took over for Zoran Filipovic in February 2010 and help guide Montenegro to wins in its first three Euro 2012 qualifiers before a draw with England in Group G.
But with last Friday's loss to Wales and England's 1-0 victory over the Welsh on Tuesday, Montenegro now sits six points back of The Three Lions with one less game played.
Switzerland has also moved to within three points of Montenegro, with the two sides facing off on the final day of qualifying in Switzerland on October 11.
"For a team that was in a great position to compete even for first place, we now have a difficult task in front of us [to finish in the top two]," Football Federation of Montenegro president Dejan Savicevic said. "It's obvious we are in free fall. Also, the last two matches have shown that the team have lost their spirit and we had to react."
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