Chelsea have fired manager Luis Felipe Scolari with immediate effect. The former world-cup winning manager was given the boot following a run of poor form that has seen the club slip to fourth in the Premier league.
The London club issued the following statement on their website.
"Luiz Felipe Scolari has been dismissed as manager of Chelsea Football Club with immediate effect.
"The Chelsea board would like to place on record our gratitude for his time as manager. Felipe has brought many positives to the club since he joined and we all feel a sense of sadness that our relationship has ended so soon.
"Unfortunately the results and performances of the team appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season.
"In order to maintain a challenge for the trophies we are still competing for we felt the only option was to make the change now.
"The search for a new manager has already started and we hope to have someone in place as soon as possible.
"While that continues Assistant Coach Ray Wilkins will take charge of the team on a temporary basis."
Scolari’s dismissal makes him the third manager in two years to get the chop, following Avram Grant and Jose Mourinho. Early rumours suggest that Grant may be given another chance at the Chelsea helm on a caretaker basis. Other leading candidates include Russia boss Guus Hiddink, AC Milan’s Carlo Ancelotti and former Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard.
Whoever does get appointed will face a difficult task to resurrect an indifferent season. The clubs owner Roman Abramovic is believed to have been adversely affected by the global economic crisis and seems unwilling to release the purse strings to the extent that he did when he first arrived at Stamford Bridge.