PALERMO, Sicily (AP) -Palermo's coach didn't last long.

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Stefano Colantuono was fired Thursday and replaced by Davide Ballardini, five days after the team lost its Serie A opener 3-1 to Udinese.

``I didn't have anymore confidence in Colantuono,'' said team president Mauizio Zamparini, who has fired coaches 27 times at Palermo and his former club, Venezia. ``I took this decision independently and only informed my closest colleagues this morning.''

Palermo also was eliminated from the Italian Cup in the third round last month by Ravenna, a third-division club.

Colantuono was hired by Palermo in July 2007 after a successful run at Atalanta, then was fired Nov. 26 following a 4-3-6 start and replaced by his predecessor, Francesco Guidolin. Palermo went 5-9-3 under Guidolin, who was fired by Palermo for the fourth time on March 24 and replaced by Colantuono.