His resignation had been widely expected with the eighth-place team trailing leader Elfsborg by nine points with six games remaining, attracting criticism from fans and the media.

Djurgarden also missed the Champions League after losing a qualifier to Slovakian club Ruzomberok.

It also risks missing this year's Royal League, a winter series that consists of the top four teams from the three Scandinavian countries.

Anders Gronhagen, who coached Djurgarden during the 1990s, will lead the team for the next three months while a permanent replacement is found, club officials said.