Danny Blind has been sacked as Dutch national football coach following a 2-0 defeat to Bulgaria that left Oranje’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup hanging in the balance.

The KNVB announced Blind’s dismissal 24 hours after the setback in Sofia, which leaves the team in fourth place in Group A with five games to play.

‘We have respect for what Danny has achieved for us and for the team during his period of service,’ said commercial director Jean Paul Decossaux. ‘But because the results on the pitch have been disappointing and qualification for the World Cup in Russia is becoming difficult, we feel we have no choice but to part company.’

The former Ajax defender took over from Guus Hiddink in July 2015, towards the end of a disastrous qualifying campaign that saw the Dutch miss out on Euro 2016. Blind was retained for the current campaign but a home defeat to France and the weekend’s loss to Bulgaria have left the team languishing three points behind second-placed Sweden.

Possible successors named in Dutch media include Everton manager Ronald Koeman and his brother Erwin, former Ajax head coach Frank de Boer and Hiddink’s predecessor Louis van Gaal, even though the former Manchester United manager has said he has no plans to return to the game.