Dynamo Kyiv coach Alexei Mikhailichenko has been sacked and replaced by vice-president Josef Sabo.
The dismissal came after what the club described as an “extremely unsatisfactory performance”.
Dynamo lost at home to Turkish side Trabzonspor 2-1 on Tuesday in the first leg of the third qualifying round for the Champions League.
“After a thorough examination of Dynamo Kiev’s current leadership the conclusion was taken that urgent change was needed among the trainers,” the club said in a statement.
“The reason was the extremely unsatisfactory performance of Dynamo Kiev at the very start of the 2004/05 season and most importantly the lack of an apparent plan to achieve the tough tasks facing the club and improve the quality of the team game.”
Dynamo also lost their opening Ukrainian league match of the season to rivals Shakhtar Donetsk.
Former Soviet international Mikhailichenko was appointed in May 2002 after the death of long-time boss Valery Lobanovsky.
Sabo was in charge of the national side from 1996-1999 before being sacked for failing to take Ukraine to Euro 2000.