AFP JOHN WALTON
Chelsea Football Club officially sacked its coach, Frank Lampard, on Monday for poor results, about a year and a half after his appointment.
“It was a very difficult decision for the club, especially because I enjoy an excellent personal relationship with Frank and respect him greatly,” said its billionaire owner, Roman Abrahamovich.
He added: “The person (Lampard) has a high degree of integrity and great work ethics, but on the other hand we believe that under the current circumstances it is better to change the coach.”
He continued: “On behalf of the club, the board of directors, and personally, I would like to thank Frank, who has done a great job at the head of the coaching staff, and I wish him success in the future.”
The owner of the club praised Lampard’s career as a player in the ranks of West London Club, saying: “He is an important icon in the history of this great club and his position is preserved in it. He will remain a constant source of welcome at Stamford Bridge (Chelsea Stadium).”
Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with Head Coach Frank Lampard.
– Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 25, 2021
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Chelsea are currently ranked ninth in the league, 11 points behind leaders Manchester United.
Lampard took over the team’s training 18 months ago, succeeding the Italian Mauricio Sarri and succeeded in his first season in occupying a qualifying position in the Champions League, relying largely on young players from the club’s academy alumni such as Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham, especially since the club was prohibited from making contracts from FIFA was accepted by the International Federation of FIFA for violating the laws of minor players.
And when the International Federation lifted the suspension, the London club concluded deals worth about 250 million euros last summer, most notably with the German duo, striker Timo Werner and playmaker Kai Havertz, in addition to Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech, but the team suffered five defeats in its last eight matches in the league.
According to press reports, the club intends to appoint German Thomas Tuchel to be a substitute for Lampard in the leadership of Chelsea, to come a few weeks after his dismissal in Paris Saint-Germain.
Source: “AFP”
