Palermo sack Ballardini and hire Schelotto

"Guillermo Barros Schelotto is the new coach of Palermo," said a statement on the club's website.

"The Argentine will be assisted by Fabio Viviani, who in the course of the last week had just began training the first team."

Ballardini arrived for his second spell at the club in November when he replaced Giuseppe Iachini, who became the 29th coach to be sacked by owner Maurizio Zamparini.

Under Zamparini's trigger-happy approach since he took over the club in 2002, many coaches, including Ballardini, have been sacked only to then be brought back to the fold.

Ballardini's second spell with the Sicilians left Zamparini looking elsewhere within a matter of weeks.

He began with a draw away to Lazio but saw Palermo register four defeats and just two wins since then.

Palermo won at Verona last weekend but it was widely reported that Ballardini, despite being on the touchlines, did not talk to the players either before or after the game.

Schelotto, 42, previously won the Copa Sudamericana -- equivalent to Europe's Europa League -- with Argentine top flight side Lanus, in 2013.