Former World Cup striker John Aloisi has been sacked as coach of troubled A-League franchise Melbourne Heart, the club said on Sunday.

Aloisi had been under enormous pressure with the Heart winless in 12 games this season and without a victory since beating Sydney FC in February of the previous season.

"John has been an absolute professional at our club; as an inaugural player, as a coach of our youth side and as head coach of our A-League team," chairman Peter Sidwell said in a statement.

"No one can question his professionalism while at Melbourne Heart FC, nor his significant contribution to this club since its inception."

The club said it was expecting to appoint an interim head coach in the coming week.

Reports said former coach Dutchman John van 't Schip was in line to become Aloisi's replacement.

Van 't Schip, Heart's inaugural coach, has continued an association with the club, filling a role as technical adviser in his trips back to Australia.

Aloisi holds a special place in Australian sporting history as the scorer of the winning goal in the penalty shoot-out against Uruguay that sent the Socceroos to the World Cup finals in Germany for the first time in 32 years in the 2005 playoff.