Chelsea have sacked Graham Potter after just seven months in charge, with the Blues lying 11th in the Premier League table.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion manager took over from Thomas Tuchel in September and led the Blues to the quarter-finals of the Champions League during his short time in charge.
Potter went unbeaten in his first nine games in charge of the West London club, but the Blues have subsequently collected a meagre six wins from their last 22 matches in all tournaments.
Co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali kept faith in Potter for some time, but a 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa on Saturday evening proved to be the final straw.
Boehly and Eghbali affirmed in a statement that they held the "highest degree of respect" for Potter, and Bruno Saltor has been placed in interim charge while the board search for a permanent successor.
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"On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea. We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome," a statement read.
"Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season.
"We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter final ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high."
Chelsea handed Potter a contract until the end of the 2026-27 season upon his arrival in September, and the 47-year-old will therefore be in line for an extortionate payoff with his sacking.
Potter leaves the Blues with a record of 12 wins, eight draws and 11 defeats under his belt from 31 games in charge, taking just 1.27 points per game in the Premier League - the joint-fewest for managers to have taken charge of at least 20 top-flight games for Chelsea alongside Glenn Hoddle.
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Potter's Chelsea failed to win in six games across all competitions before the start of March, but the Englishman oversaw a four-game unbeaten run prior to the recent international break.
The Blues overturned a 1-0 deficit against Borussia Dortmund to set up a Champions League last-eight clash with Real Madrid, but goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn handed Villa a deserved 2-0 win in Saturday's contest.
Potter departs with Chelsea sat 13 points adrift of Manchester United - who have a game in hand - in the final Champions League spot, and Saltor's first game in the hotseat comes at home to Liverpool on Tuesday night.
Potter has become the second Premier League manager to leave his post in the space of a few hours after Brendan Rodgers departed Leicester City by mutual agreement earlier on Sunday.
Ben Knapton
