Madrid, Spain - Hector Cuper has quit as coach of Real Mallorca following the club's slide to the bottom of the Primera Liga and former boss Gregorio Manzano has agreed to take his place.
"My resignation was necessary to change the dynamic of the team," Cuper told a news conference on Tuesday.
"There are 15 games left and 45 points to play for so there is still time to produce the change the team needs.
"I would like to thank the fans for the support they have always shown me in my two spells here. I would like to have left them more satisfied but it wasn't possible."
Mallorca president Vicente Grande said he was deeply disappointed at the departure of the 50-year-old Argentine.
"I would like to tell the people who are pleased to see him go that we are losing a man who loved Mallorca. His work here has not been judged fairly.
"It has been an honour to have had him as our coach. I have spoken to him and he is very upset but he hopes that by leaving now it will help the club avoid relegation."
The islanders slipped to the foot of the table on Sunday after a 1-1 draw at home to Getafe extended their winless streak to nine matches.
The club said that they had approached former Atletico Madrid and Malaga boss Manzano who had agreed in principle to return to Mallorca for a second spell.
Manzano, who is expected to sign a contract with the club on Wednesday, led Mallorca to triumph in the King's Cup in 2003 and to a creditable ninth place-finish in the Primera Liga.
Cuper took charge of Mallorca for the second time in November 2004.
He replaced Benito Floro, who was dismissed after picking up five points from the first nine games of the campaign.
The club spent much of last season in the relegation zone before saving their top-flight status on the final day.
Mallorca made a similarly poor start this season and, despite several signings in the January transfer window, results failed to improve.
Cuper was first in charge of Mallorca between 1997 and 1999, taking them to the final of the King's Cup, the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup and a club record third-place finish in the league.
He moved to Valencia in 1999 following the departure of Claudio Ranieri and took a side with little pedigree in Europe to two successive Champions League finals, losing to Real Madrid in 2000 and Bayern Munich, on penalties, a year later.
Cuper then replaced Marco Tardelli at Inter Milan in 2001 and almost won the Serie A title the following season, falling at the final hurdle by losing the last match to Lazio.
Inter finished second again in 2003 but Cuper was sacked in October the same year after his side went four successive Serie A matches without a win.