Roberto Di Matteo was fired as manager of Chelsea on Wednesday, leaving the team without a boss just one day after a tough defeat in the Champions League.
The team is on the verge of becoming the first defending champion to be eliminated from the group stage after losing 3-0 against Juventus in Turin to fall into third place. Di Matteo led the team to it's first League title in May by defeating Bayern Munich, but the poor play of the Blues forced the club to make a move.
"The club faces a difficult task ahead in qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League as well as maintaining a strong challenge for the top of the Premier League while competing in three other cup competitions. Our aim is to remain as competitive as possible and challenge strongly on all fronts," Chelsea said, according to ESPN.com.
Chelsea sits behind Shakhtar Donetsk and Juventus in Group E with just one match left to play against Danish club FC Nordsjaelland.
"We will never forget the huge contribution he has made to this club's history," Chelsea's statement said.
The team has struggled in the Premier League as well recently, gaining only two points in the last four games, including in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Nov. 11. The club was an early leader, but is now behind Manchester City and Manchester United in the standings.
"The team's recent performances and results have not been good enough and the owner and the board felt that a change was necessary now to keep the club moving in the right direction as we head into a vitally important part of the season," Chelsea said in a statement.
Di Matteo also led the team to the FA Cup in May, winning 2-1 over Liverpool. It was the club's fourth title in six years and the seventh overall.
Russian owner Roman Abramovich has been through many managers before, including names like Carlo Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink and Luiz Felipe Scolari, and will now have to find a new one. The club did not announce a replacement, but said that one will named very soon. It will be the ninth manager under Abramovich.
"The club will be making an announcement shortly regarding a new first team manager," the statement said.
The 42-year-old Di Matteo took over from Andre Villas-Boas as interim manager in March and signed a two-year contract in June. He led the team to two titles at the end of last season, but this year the team has only won two of their last eight games in all league competitions after starting off well.
"Results and performances haven't been to the level of a club of this magnitude," said former Chelsea defender Paul Elliott to BBC Sport. "Abramovich has always been good for Chelsea and will continue to be."
Di Metteo previously played for Chelsea from 1996-2002, scoring 26 goals in 119 appearances. He first moved to the club for a then record of 4.9 million pounds and proved to be an excellent passer and long-distance shooter during his time there.
He helped the club return to prominence in the late1990s and during his six years with the club he won two FA Cups, a League Cup, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the Super Cup.
During his career he also played with the Italian national team, scoring two goals in 44 games.
Before being hired by Chelsea, Di Matteo was manager of Milton Keynes Dons and West Bromwich, where he was named Premier League Manager of the Month for September 2010.
During 2012-13 Premier League play, Di Matteo won seven matches, lost two and played to three draws. The next game for the Blues will be a home Premier League match against Manchester City on Sunday.
"The owner and the Board would like to thank Roberto for all he has done for the club since taking over in March. Roberto helped guide us to an historic Champions League victory and a seventh FA Cup. We will never forget the huge contribution he has made to this club's history and he will always be welcome at Stamford Bridge," said Chelsea's statement.
According to the Associated Press, former Liverpool and Inter Milan coach Rafa Benitez is a possible candidate for the managers job, as well as Pep Guardiola, who left Barcelona after last season.
''Wow, Chelsea have sacked their manager!! ... its a madness,'' Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said on Twitter.
