Vienna  - The tenure of Austria coach Karel Brueckner was cut short Monday, when the Austrian football association (OeFB) announced it had severed its contract with the seasoned Czech trainer after a string of losses.

The 69-year-old coach had taken over the team last July after Austria's unsuccessful showing at the Euro 2008 championships.

Led by Brueckner, Austria managed only one win against France, defeating it 3-1 in a World Cup qualifier, while drawing two matches and losing four others. Brueckner's record since last summer includes a 1-1 draw against the Faroe Islands.

The OeFB said it had split amicably with Brueckner, and was hoping to find a successor before playing Romania on April 1 in a qualifier for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Brueckner had quit as Czech national coach after a first-round exit at Euro 2008. Brueckner had coached his country's team since 2001. dpa