Chelsea's technical director Michael Emenalo has suggested that Jose Mourinho had lost the support of the dressing room at Stamford Bridge.
The Portuguese boss was sacked for a second time by the Blues earlier today following a run of form that had seen the champions drop down to 16th in the Premier League.
Along with the negative results, reports over the last few months have claimed that Mourinho had fallen out with a number of key players, including Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and skipper John Terry.
Emenalo has now seemingly confirmed those rumours, having spoken of "a palpable discord" between the 52-year-old and the playing staff.
"While there is huge sentiment for the individual who has done so much for the club, the fact of the matter remains that Chelsea Football Club are in trouble," he told the club's official website.
"The results are not good. There obviously seemed to be a palpable discord between manager and players. We feel it was time to act."
As far as the bookmakers are concerned, Guus Hiddink is the early favourite to replace Mourinho.