Chelsea have announced that Roberto Di Matteo's time as manager has come to an end after nine months in charge at Stamford Bridge.

The 42-year-old's future had been questioned in recent weeks and pressure mounted on the former Blues player's shoulders following last night's 3-0 defeat to Juventus, which is likely to drop the holders out of the Champions League at the group stage.

A statement on the club's official website read: "The team's recent performances and results have not been good enough and the owner and the board felt that a change was necessary now to keep the club moving in the right direction as we head into a vitally important part of the season.

"The club faces a difficult task ahead in qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League as well as maintaining a strong challenge for the top of the Premier League while competing in three other cup competitions. Our aim is to remain as competitive as possible and challenge strongly on all fronts.

"The owner (Roman Abramovich) and the board would like to thank Roberto for all he has done for the club since taking over in March. Roberto helped guide us to an historic Champions League victory and a seventh FA Cup. We will never forget the huge contribution he has made to this club's history and he will always be welcome at Stamford Bridge. The club will be making an announcement shortly regarding a new first team manager."

Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is one of the bookmakers' favourites to take on the position in an interim role. Ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola is believed to be a top target for owner Abramovich but the Spaniard is currently on a year's sabbatical in New York.

Di Matteo became temporary coach for the Blues in March following Andre Villas-Boas's dismissal and led the team to an FA Cup final win and the club's first ever Champions League trophy before getting the permanent role in the summer.