Chelsea have parted company with head coach Liam Rosenior after a damaging run of form.
Rosenior, 41, took over in January on a deal until June 2032 but leaves fewer than four months later.
Although the club did not intend to review his position until much further down the line, a decline in results have dictated otherwise.
Chelsea have named Calum McFarlane as interim coach until the end of the season, when there will be a stronger market for permanent solutions and a fifth full-time boss under their BlueCo ownership group. McFarlane previously took the role following Enzo Maresca’s departure on New Year’s Day and oversaw the 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
“This has not been a decision the club has taken lightly, however recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards with still so much more to play for this season. Everyone at Chelsea FC wishes Liam every success in the future,” a Chelsea statement read.
Tuesday’s defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion made it five straight league losses without a goal scored, which last happened to Chelsea in 1912.
Rosenior heavily criticised himself, the players and their performance in post-match interviews, while the Chelsea hierarchy spent Wednesday considering his future.
They are likely to have been deliberating who would give Chelsea the best chance of winning Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United and then earning qualification for next season’s Champions League.
Rosenior won each of his first four Premier League games at the helm but a 2-2 draw at home to Leeds United on February 10 started a run of nine league matches which brought just one victory and five points.
That run of form has seen Chelsea drop to seventh in the Premier League — seven points off a top-five spot and guaranteed Champions League qualification — and just three points above 12th-place Fulham.
Rosenior also oversaw an 8-2 aggregate defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16, and lost in both legs against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Chelsea have yet to beat a Premier League team in their run to the FA Cup semi-finals. After facing Leeds on Sunday, Chelsea are next in league action at home to Nottingham Forest on May 4, before finishing their campaign against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland.
