Mikael Stahre's reign at the helm of the San Jose Earthquakes is over.

The team has relieved the Swede of his duties with six matches remaining in the season and the club at the very bottom of the Major League Soccer standings. Assistant coach Alex de Crook was also dismissed.

Former USMNT midfielder Steve Ralston will take over the club on an interim basis.

ESPN's Jeffrey Carlisle was first with the news.

“I would like to thank Mikael and Alex for their hard work and professionalism this season,” Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli said in a statement. “Mikael has qualities, both as a person and a coach, that will be missed by players, staff and the front office alike. We felt we needed a change and decided that the six remaining games represent an opportunity for all of us to begin heading in a new direction and to evaluate our options actively with a single goal in mind: to strengthen our first team for the upcoming season and beyond.”

Stahre, 43, was in his first season as head coach of the club, named to his post last November following the dismissal of interim manager Chris Leitch. Dominic Kinnear - now the interim manager of the LA Galaxy - was fired last June in the middle of his third season with the club.

It was Stahre's first appointment in North America, following coaching in his native Sweden, Greece and in China. He led Stockholm-based AIK to the Swedish top-flight title in 2009.

Ralston, 44, has been with the club since 2015. Following a nine-year MLS career that ended in 2009, Ralston spent five years as assistant with the Houston Dynamo before jumping to San Jose.

The Earthquakes host East-leading Atlanta United on Wednesday.