Roberto Di Matteo's tenure as Chelsea manager came to an end after Tuesday's 3-0 defeat to Juventus. Di Matteo was sacked despite leading Chelsea to European Champions League and English FA Cup glory just six months earlier.
(CNN) -- Just six months after leading Chelsea to European Champions League and English FA Cup glory Roberto di Matteo has been sacked by the English Premier League club.
He was sacked just hours after Tuesday's 3-0 defeat to Juventus left Chelsea on the brink of becoming the first defending champions to be eliminated in the group stages of the Champions League.
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who took over the club in 2003, is now looking for his ninth manager, with all the indications a replacement has already been found.
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"The club will be making an announcement shortly regarding a new first team manager," said a statement on the Chelsea website.
Third in the English Premier League despite a series of injuries to key players, Chelsea is on a run of just one win in five league matches and face league leaders Manchester City on Sunday, with the league champions four points ahead of the London side.
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Explaining the Italian's dismissal, Chelsea thanked Di Matteo for his"huge contribution" but also said the team's results had "not been good enough".
"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," added the Chelsea statement.
Managerial change
In order to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, Chelsea must beat Danish side Nordsjaelland in the final round of group matches and hope Ukrainian group leaders Shakhtar Donetsk defeat Juventus.
Former Chelsea midfielder Di Matteo took over first team duties following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas in March 2011.
The former West Bromwich Albion manager guided Chelsea to English FA Cup success, beating Liverpool 2-1 in the final, before leading the west London club to its first Champions League triumph in May.
The penalty shootout victory over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena helped convince Abramovich that Di Matteo deserved the job on a full-time basis and the Italian was handed a two-year contract in June 2012.
Eight full-time managers have worked under Abramovich since he took control of Chelsea in 2003.
Chelsea beat Bayern Munich on penalties to win the Champions League trophy for the first time in their history
Chelsea parade Champions League trophy
Chelsea's players lift the Champions League for the first time after their dramatic win over Bayern Munich.
Chelsea win Champions League for the first time
Tuesday's defeat came off the back of Saturday's 2-1 loss at Di Matteo's former club West Brom.
John Terry
Despite attacking players such as Brazilian playmaker Oscar and Belgian forward Eden Hazard impressing since arriving during the last preseason, Chelsea has struggled defensively.
Key has been the recent absence of captain John Terry who had to serve a four-match ban for racially abusing an opponent before picking up a knee injury in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool earlier this month.
With Terry in and out of the team, Chelsea has conceded 20 goals in its last 10 matches in all competitions.
Much of Di Matteo's tenure was overshadowed by the racism scandal which engulfed Terry and the club.
Former England captain Terry was cleared by a London magistrate's court of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand but was then found guilty by an English FA tribunal.
Di Matteo, whose team began the season with a 4-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the European Super Cup, has also failed to bring the best form out of Fernando Torres -- the striker who Abramovich splashed out $80 million to recruit from Liverpool.
Spain international Torres, who won the golden boot at this year's Euro 2012 tournament, has scored just four goals this season and looks a shadow of the player who shone during four seasons at Anfield.
Media reports are already linking Torres' former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez with the job. The Spaniard has been out of work since being sacked by Inter Milan in January 2011.
Former Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola is also being linked with the Stamford Bridge vacancy. Guardiola led Barca to 14 titles in four years before stepping down from the Nou Camp hotseat at the end of last season. The former Barca captain is currently on sabbatical in the United States.
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Di Matteo enjoyed a successful playing career at Chelsea in the 1990s before returning to the club as Andre Villas-Boas' assistant manager in 2011. He took interim charge of the team following Villas-Boas' sacking in March this year.
After beating Tottenham Hotspur in the semfinals, Di Matteo led Chelsea to an FA Cup triumph by beating Liverpool 2-1 in the final.
Di Matteo's crowning glory came in May, when Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich on penalities to win the European Champions League. The historic success, Chelsea's first in the competition, was one of the reasons why club owner Roman Abramovich gave Di Matteo the manager's job on a full-time basis.
Chelsea suffered a set back early in the 2012-13 season when a Radamel Falcao-inspired Atletico Madrid beat Di Matteo's team 4-1 in the European Super Cup final.
Chelsea fans packed the streets around southwest London to see the victory parade
Chelsea captain John Terry was suspended for the final but lifted the trophy in Munich and was center of the celebrations again on the parade
An estimated 100,000 Chelsea fans were in Munich for the final and thousands more lined the parade route on Sunday
Didier Drogba, who could leave the club in the summer, scored for Chelsea to take the game into extra time and converted the winning penalty
Bayern Munich's supporters packed their home Allianz Arena to see their heroes take on Chelsea.
Thomas Mueller celebrates his opening goal for Bayern Munich with just seven minutes remaining.
Didier Droga proved Chelsea's hero with a goal in normal time and the penalty shootout winner.
Arjen Robben is left stunned after his penalty effort is saved by Petr Cech and he cannot convert the follow up.
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