Di Matteo sacked by Chelsea

Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo
has been sacked following a run of
poor form.
The Italian won 24 of his 42 games in
charge of the club but, after their 3-0
defeat to Juventus left them in danger
of missing out on the knockout stages
of the Champions League, Chelsea
have decided to end his tenure.
Pep Guardiola has emerged as the
frontrunner to replace Di Matteo, with
Sky Bet offering 7/4 on the former
Barcelona manager taking over.
Rafa Benitez is 2/1 to take the
Stamford Bridge hotseat, while Harry
Redknapp (6/1) is also in the early
running.
"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," read a statement on
the club website.
"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.
"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.
"The club will be making an
announcement shortly regarding a
new first team manager."

Skysport