The London club handed over first-team duties to assistant manager Roberto di Matteo for the remainder of a season that is in danger of becoming the worst since Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003.
Speculation over the future of Villas Boas, at 34 the youngest manager in the league this season, had been swirling in the British media for weeks after a series of poor results and reports of rifts with senior players.
The dismissal of the man often referred to simply by his initials "AVB" came after Saturday's 1-0 league loss to West Bromwich Albion, their seventh league defeat of the season and a dreadful performance all round.
"Unfortunately the results and performances of the team have not been good enough and were showing no signs of improving at a key time in the season," the London club said in a statement on their website (www.chelseafc.com).
The Stamford Bridge outfit have won three of their last 12 Premier League games and are in danger of missing out on qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since Russian billionaire Abramovich bought the club.
They are trailing 3-1 in their round-of-16 Champions League tie against Napoli ahead of the March 14 second leg, while they sit fifth in the Premier League table with 46 points from 27 games.
"The club is still competing in the latter stages of the Uefa Champions League and the FA Cup, as well as challenging for a top-four spot in the Premier League, and we aim to remain as competitive as possible on all fronts," the statement said.
"With that in mind we felt our only option was to make a change at this time."
UNDER SCRUTINY
While former Chelsea midfielder Di Matteo has been put in charge in the interim, the departure of Villas-Boas will do nothing to quieten fans' calls for Jose Mourinho to make a return to the club he led to back-to-back Premier League titles.
The self-anointed "Special One", currently manager of La Liga leaders Real Madrid, has featured in British newspapers in recent days, with photographs showing him in London and reportedly looking for a new house.
Mourinho told reporters on Saturday that he would be visiting London again on Monday but declined to give any details, saying: "I don't have to explain my private life to anyone."
Villas-Boas had said this week that Mourniho's shadow hung over the club, while his relationship with players from his compatriot's golden era has also been under scrutiny.
Vice-captain Frank Lampard said last month that his relationship with Villas-Boas had "not been ideal" but the Portuguese had dismissed any notion of unrest saying the only reason for an unhappy dressing room was their league position.
Major cracks, however, appeared this week when Villas-Boas said in an interview with Portugal's TSF radio that he was unsure if he still had the backing of Abramovich.
As if predicting what might be around the corner, he pointed to the owner's notorious lack of patience with managers who did not deliver silverware and in particular the coveted Champions League trophy.
"The pattern of behaviour of the owner has led to a downfall (of coaches) in similar situations or even 'better' situations," he said.
"What will be the reaction? It will be one of the two, a continuation of the project and full support or just the cultural pattern that has happened before."
He now has his answer as the seventh manager of the Abramovich era has been shown the door, following men such as Carlo Ancelotti and Luis Felipe Scolari who did not deliver what was required.
Villas-Boas was appointed on June 22, 2011, on a three-year deal and Chelsea had to pay £13.3 million to trigger an escape clause in his contract at Porto, the club he led to a Europa League, domestic league and cup treble.
FACTBOX: Andre Villas-Boas
Born Oct. 17, 1977 in Porto, Portugal.
EARLY CAREER
* Played at amateur level in regional leagues, and according to one of his coaches was a busy midfielder who showed an early interest in tactics. Never played professionally, opting instead to take coaching courses while he completed a university degree in humanities.
* As a 16-year-old Porto fan, Villas-Boas contacted the club's then manager Bobby Robson and questioned his team selection. The former England coach was impressed with the teenager's passion, helped him to take coaching courses and introduced him to his assistant Jose Mourinho.
* He stayed at Porto after Robson moved to Barcelona and coached at youth level until taking a job as coach of the British Virgin Islands national team in 2000.
* He returned to Porto in 2001 and became a scout under new head coach Mourinho in 2002.
* He followed Mourinho to Chelsea in 2004, working as an opposition scout at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and two League Cups under Mourinho.
* Villas-Boas then followed Mourinho to Inter Milan, where he stayed for one season, in which they won the Serie A title, before leaving in 2009.
COACHING CAREER
* He joined Portuguese club Academica as head coach in October 2009 with the club bottom of the Portuguese championship and without a win.
* He helped Academica to climb away from the relegation zone to finish 11th.
* He joined Porto as head coach in June 2010 on a two-year deal and signed a one-year contract extension in December 2010 that included a 15-million-euro release clause.
* He made a winning start by beating champions Benfica 2-0 to win the Portuguese Supercup.
* Combining defensive solidity, midfield possession and creative flair in attack, Porto became the first team since 1978 to finish the season undefeated.
* Villas-Boas became the youngest coach to win a Uefa competition when Porto defeated Braga 1-0 to clinch the Europa League and he completed a treble by winning the Portuguese championship and cup.
CHELSEA
* Villas-Boas left Porto to become manager at Chelsea in June 22, 2011.
* The London club paid £13.3 million to trigger the escape clause in his contract and make him the seventh Chelsea manager since Russian owner Roman Abramovic bought the club in 2003.
* He faced a daunting task in replacing Italian Carlo Ancelotti, who had won the Premier League and FA Cup in his first season in charge, and in rejuvenating an ageing squad who had ended the previous season trophyless.
* The Portuguese came under increasing scrutiny as Chelsea's form slumped while media reported a rift with several senior players.
* He was heavily criticised for leaving out established first-teamers Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Ashley Cole as Chelsea suffered a 3-1 defeat to Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash.
* A 3-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers the following weekend bought him a brief stay of execution but his demise was assured when Chelsea lost 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
© Reuters
No comments:
Post a Comment