Chelsea have fired Frank Lampard as their manager – bringing an abrupt end to the club legend’s 18-month reign in charge.
Lampard has been sacked following a tough run at the helm which has seen the club win just one of their previous five Premier League matches.
The 42-year-old leaves the west London outfit ninth in the table, 11 points behind leaders Manchester United.
Lampard’s final game in charge was on Sunday as the Blues beat Luton Town 3-1 to reach the FA Cup fifth round.
In a statement, Chelsea said: ‘This has been a very difficult decision, and not one that the owner and the board have taken lightly.
‘We are grateful to Frank for what he has achieved in his time as head coach of the club. However, recent results and performances have not met the club’s expectations, leaving the club mid-table without any clear path to sustained improvement.
‘There can never be a good time to part ways with a club legend such as Frank, but after lengthy deliberation and consideration it was decided a change is needed now to give the club time to improve performances and results this season.’
Owner Roman Abramovich said Lampard’s status as an ‘important icon’ of the club ‘remains undiminished’ despite his dismissal.
‘This was a very difficult decision for the club, not least because I have an excellent personal relationship with Frank and I have the utmost respect for him,’ said Abramovich.
‘He is a man of great integrity and has the highest of work ethics. However, under current circumstances we believe it is best to change managers.’
Former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel is the early frontrunner to replace Lampard.
Lampard is Chelsea’s all-time record scorer, with 211 goals for the club between 2001 and 2014, and is also joint-seventh on the list of England players with the most caps, having made 106 appearances for his country over 15 years from 1999.
During his 13 seasons as a player at Stamford Bridge, he made 648 appearances and won 11 major trophies – including four Premier League titles and the 2012 Champions League.
