Chelsea have sacked manager Jose Mourinho seven months after he led them to the Premier League title.
The 52-year-old Portuguese had been in his second spell at the club, taking charge in June 2013.
Chelsea finished eight points clear last season and won the League Cup, but have lost nine of their 16 league games so far and are 16th in the table, one point above the relegation places.
Mourinho's final match was Monday's 2-1 defeat at leaders Leicester City.
Guus Hiddink, Brendan Rodgers, Diego Simeone and Juande Ramos have all been touted as possible successors. However it is likely that Hiddink will step in once again as interim manager given his relationship with Abramovich.
With Pep Guardiola to announce his plans next week - after Bayern Munich - the media will no doubt now view him as the natural successor at Stamford Bridge. Despite the fact that Manchester City appear to have been the favourites up to this moment.
Estimates this week suggested that club owner, Roman Abramovich, will be forced to pay Mourinho more than £40million if he was fired and perhaps the reason behind the slowness of the announcement ad the Chelsea management team of Bruce Buck, Marina Granovskaia, Eugene Tenenbaum and Michael Emenalo discussed the options at the club's Cobham base on Wednesday.
The huge severance and a strong relationship with worlds super agent, Jorge Mendes, on his side Mourinho will no doubt have some longer terms plans after some well earned time out of football. Something that would offer the limelight he craves in other media circles.
After establishing a number of records in the game at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid there appears little for Mourinho to achieve in football in the short term.
What is indisputable is that every move Jose makes has an alterior motive or objective. So his well heralded departure from Stamford Bridge ensures a financial windfall that leaves him with no need to ever work again. Allowing him enjoy the game from the stands or in the TV studios.
With Gary Neville gone to Spain Mourinho would be box office for Sky Sports, BT Sport or others. All willing to get out their cheque books no doubt as the news broke.
© OSMedia
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