Chelsea have confirmed the sacking of Frank Lampard after 18 months in charge.
The London club, in a statement 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.”
However, 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.”
Frank Lampard was booted out after last week’s defeat at Leicester City that left Chelsea on the ninth spot in the Premier League,
The 42-year-old has led Chelsea to just one victory in their past five league matches.
He won FA Cup fourth-round match against Championship side Luton on Sunday but wasn’t enough to save his job.
Lampard was appointed on a three-year contract when he replaced Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge in July 2019.
He guided them to fourth place and the FA Cup final in his first season in charge, and a 3-1 win against Leeds at the start of December put the club top of the Premier League.
