Klinsmann's 10-month reign in charge of the defending league champions and DFB-Pokal holders was brought to an end after a meeting with club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, general manager Uli Hoeness and director Karl Hopfner.

The 44-year-old took over as coach of Bayern from Ottmar Hitzfeld last July, but failed to take the club to the top of the table.

Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Schalke left the club three points adrift of leaders Wolfsburg with five games of the season to go.

Jupp Heynckes has been given the chance to win his third Bundesliga title in charge of Bayern after being appointed as caretaker coach, and Klinsmann is confident they will succeed with that aim.

"I am obviously very disappointed at the moment, but I would like to thank everybody at FC Bayern, the fans, the coaches, the players and colleagues, from the bottom of my heart for an eventful time," he said.

"We have laid the foundations for the future and I still believe the team can become German champions this season."

Last Saturday's defeat compromised the chances of Bayern defending their league crown after an embarrassing exit to Barcelona in the Champions League and elimination from the DFB-Pokal to Bayer Leverkusen had already seen the pressure turned up on Klinsmann.

And Bayern chairman Rummenigge has described Klinsmann's dismissal as "liberating".

"We had to remove this psychological barrier which we could see in the team on Saturday," he said.

"We have been very worried over the last few weeks about failing to reach our sporting goals. This is like liberation."

His replacement, Heynckes, will be assisted by Hermann Gerland - who has been coach of Bayern's reserve team since 2001 - and they will lead their first training session tomorrow.

The pair will be in charge for the final five matches, and Bayern will be hoping his arrival can bring the desired results in the club's remaining fixtures against Borussia Monchengladbach, Energie Cottbus, Leverkusen, Hoffenheim and Stuttgart.

Heynckes led Bayern to back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 1989 and 1990 and general manager Hoeness welcomed his appointment, saying: "He is a football mastermind and that is what we need right now."

Heynckes added: "I am doing this for FC Bayern, who gave me the springboard into international football, and for my friendship with Uli Hoeness.

"Jurgen Klinsmann worked very hard and was very innovative, but you usually need time for something like that.

"But often in football, it is only direct success which counts and unfortunately you don't get this time.

"Even the best concept does not help you when the results are not right. It is not enough, particularly to our fans."

Attention has already turned to who will be Klinsmann's permanent successor, with former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini one of the leading candidates.

He recently admitted it would be "an honour" to coach them, while Hamburg's Martin Jol and former Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard have also been linked with the position.

As for Klinsmann, his first job as a club coach after leading the Germany national team to third place at the 2006 World Cup will be remembered as a failure.

His arrival last summer was met with many raised eyebrows and he set about revolutionising the club's training regime and facilities.

His coaching acumen was called into question when he named Mark van Bommel as his new captain following Oliver Kahn's retirement before dropping the Dutchman from his team for several weeks.

After a tricky start to the season, Klinsmann appeared to have turned the corner going into November with five straight Bundesliga victories and wins over Fiorentina, Lyon and Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League.

A record 12-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in the first knockout phase in the Champions League saved him as the pressure mounted once again following a 4-2 defeat to Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal.

However, a 4-0 loss in Barcelona saw his future again called into question.

He had effectively been on probation since that defeat at the Nou Camp and Saturday's home reverse to Schalke, which saw the fans' calls for him to be sacked reach a crescendo, proved to be the final straw for Rummenigge and Hoeness.