Omiya Ardija on Sunday announced the dismissal of manager Akira Ito, as well as the appointment of former Kashima Antlers manager Masatada Ishii as his replacement.

Ito, who took over from Hiroki Shibuya in May, earned a record of only three wins from 18 games in the ongoing MEIJI YASUDA J1 League campaign.

“I’m sorry that after five months I have not gotten the club out of the relegation zone and will be leaving with three matches to go,” Ito said. 

“My weaknesses prevented us from meeting the expectations of our fans and supporters. I remain a fan of Omiya Ardija and I truly hope that the new coaching team and players can work together to stay in the J1.”

Arriving manager Ishii is most recently known for his time at Kashima Antlers, where he won the 2015 League Cup before capturing the 2016 J1 League championship. 

He was dismissed from that position in May of this year.