Inter Milan has fired coach Andrea Stramaccioni after a highly disappointing ninth-place finish in Serie A.

The Gazzetta dello Sport and the ANSA news agency say Stramaccioni was informed of the decision.

Walter Mazzarri, who stepped down as Napoli manager last weekend, was already being tapped as the likely replacement.

Having never coached in Serie A before, Stramaccioni was hired in March last year to replace the fired Claudio Ranieri. He led Inter to a sixth-place finish last season but this campaign has been marred by a series of injuries, including serious setbacks for key players Diego Milito and Javier Zanetti, the club's 39-year-old captain.

Stramaccioni's contract was due to expire in 2015.