Away from the podium and their high ambitions, Chelsea announced on Monday the dismissal of their legend Frank Lampard as coach, after a year and a half in charge, a month before playing the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Atletico Madrid.
"A change is necessary to give the club time to improve performances and results this season," Chelsea wrote in a statement.
The London team currently occupies the ninth position in the Premier League, eleven points behind the league leader Manchester United.
Lampard, 42, and a club legend as a player (2001-2014), has not been able to keep the Blues in the top positions of the table, despite the significant additions for this season.
'Very Difficult' Decision
The club's owner, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, described the decision as "very difficult".
"Under the current circumstances, we believe it is preferable to change the coaching staff," he wrote in a statement, a month before the Champions League round of 16.
On Sunday, Chelsea qualified for the round of 16 of the Cup by defeating Luton 3-1 from the second division.
In a year and a half at the helm of Chelsea, Lampard, who had a contract until 2022, led his club to an FA Cup final and a promising fourth position in the Premier League in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
The name of his replacement has not been announced, but several English media outlets have reported that German coach Thomas Tuchel, former Paris Saint-Germain coach until the arrival of Argentine Mauricio Pochettino in mid-January, will be the chosen one.
The new occupant of the Stamford Bridge bench will have to plan a high-risk visit to Atletico Madrid's field on February 23, the solid leader of the league, in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.
Before that, they will have a fairly easy path in the Premier League except for the match against Tottenham on February 4.
Lack of Regularity
The lack of regularity in this competition is what cost Lampard his job, unable to keep up with the other big teams in the competition. Chelsea is 11 points behind league leader Manchester United and 5 points behind Liverpool, who are in fourth place, the final position that leads to the next Champions League.
The start of 2021 did not contribute to improving their situation, with defeats against Manchester City (3-1) and Leicester (2-0) and only one narrow victory in mid-January against Fulham (1-0).
The expectations were very high for a club that signed one of the biggest promises in German football this season, Kai Havertz, who was acquired from Bayer Leverkusen for 80 million euros (97 million dollars) according to the press, in addition to Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech, and Edouard Mendy.
Experienced defender Thiago Silva also joined the ranks of the UEFA Europa League champions in 2019, as he was available on a free transfer after finishing his time with PSG. Tuchel, who had fought for the Brazilian's continuity in the French capital, could reunite with him in London. (D)