Chelsea have sacked head coach Liam Rosenior after being in charge of the Blues for three months.
This comes after the club lost five consecutive Premier League matches without scoring for the first time since 1912.
Rosenior arrived at Stamford Bridge in January, signing a five-and-a-half-year deal, but won just 11 of his 23 games across all competitions.
THE WHISTLER reports that after Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat at Brighton, Rosenior said the performance was “indefensible” and “unacceptable” as he faced angry chants from the travelling supporters.
They subsequently slipped to seventh in the Premier League standings in a further blow to their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
“Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following his appointment midway through the season,” Chelsea said.
“This has not been a decision the club has taken lightly; however, recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards, with still so much more to play for this season.”
Earlier, THE WHISTLER reported Chelsea were having a meeting as his position as head coach became increasingly uncertain following Tuesday’s damaging 3-0 defeat by Brighton.
Initial findings indicated he might be sacked as early as Sunday if Chelsea lost the FA Cup semi-final tie with Leeds United.
Last week, Rosenior received public and private backing from the club’s hierarchy, but none was forthcoming on Wednesday, sources indicated.
In addition, a number of players were unconvinced by the 41-year-old, who moved to Chelsea from their French partner club Strasbourg.
While the players had a day off, the club’s leadership was at the training ground.
It was understood Rosenior’s position was being discussed internally as part of a range of options after the loss, which further damaged their season’s aim of Champions League qualification.
Chelsea fans turned on Rosenior at the Amex Stadium, while the head coach publicly criticised his players after the loss.
He said his team’s performance in the defeat by Brighton—a fifth successive league loss without scoring, their worst run for 114 years—was both “indefensible” and “unacceptable”.
Chelsea are seventh in the Premier League, five points adrift of a top-five spot and Champions League qualification, with four matches remaining.
Before the Brighton defeat, Rosenior said he felt “100%” support from the club’s ownership.
Last week, influential co-owner Behdad Eghbali said the hierarchy remained behind Rosenior, adding, “Of course, it’s a results business, but we think he can be successful long term.”
Rosenior became a point of frustration, according to multiple figures close to Chelsea players.
The extent of that frustration varied. Some described him as a friendly character who meant well, while others enjoyed working with him at his previous club, Strasbourg, part of the same BlueCo ownership group.
Others, notably several Spanish-speaking players, were understood to have preferred working under Maresca. This was reflected in interviews given by Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez.
Decisions to rotate goalkeepers and limit minutes for certain players, including Josh Acheampong, who often featured briefly from the bench, caused some discontent.
Perhaps most concerning was the atmosphere within the leadership group. One source inside Chelsea said senior players were often quiet when invited to give their views during near-daily team meetings.
Rosenior was not the only issue at Chelsea. Players were also concerned about the financial consequences of failing to qualify for the Champions League again while on incentive-based contracts.
Others had broader frustrations, having joined a club they believed would challenge for trophies but which is now consistently falling short.
