Bournemouth on Monday parted ways with manager Gary O'Neil, despite his contribution in helping the club secure their top-flight survival last season, the Premier League club announced in a statement.
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O'Neil initially took charge of the team on an interim basis in August and was later appointed as the permanent manager in November, following Scott Parker's departure.
Under O'Neil's guidance, Bournemouth finished in 15th place in the league last season, successfully avoiding relegation.
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However, the team's performance suffered a decline towards the end of the campaign, culminating in four consecutive defeats.Although O'Neil played a role in the team's
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survival, the club has decided to make a managerial change, presumably due to their concerns about the recent dip in form and the need for a fresh approach moving forward.
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"Gary's achievement last season is one I will always be grateful for. This has been a difficult decision, but it has been made with great consideration to best position ourselves ahead of the coming season," Bournemouth owner Bill Foley said.
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"Gary will go on to have a long career as a head coach or manager, but we feel that, at this moment in time, a change is in the best interests of this football club. I would like to place on record my thanks to Gary and wish him all the best for the future."
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American businessman Foley, who took over Bournemouth in December, added that the change in manager would help the club better execute their strategy in the coming months.
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"As a club, we have put plans in place for long-term success with improvements being made to infrastructure, most notably the development of a new state-of-the-art training facility and the ongoing discussions around upgrades to our stadium," Foley said.
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"We have also identified a number of significant targets in the transfer market this summer and believe this change in direction will provide us with the best platform from which to build."