Chelsea dismiss manager Di Matteo

Chelsea FC have announced that they have dismissed manager Roberto Di Matteo in the wake of their 3-0 UEFA Champions League Group E defeat at Juventus on Tuesday night.

A club statement reads: "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. The club face a difficult task ahead in qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League as well as maintaining a strong challenge at 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."

The Swiss-born Di Matteo, 42, represented S.S. Lazio, Chelsea and Italy as a midfielder and returned to take charge of the west London outfit – initially as caretaker – in March, guiding them to glory in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League. The Chelsea statement adds: "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 us to a 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."