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Chelsea have sacked manager Antonio Conte after just two years in charge.
Conte, 48, won the Premier League in his first season and the FA Cup in May, but the team finished fifth in the league last season, missing out on Champions League qualification.
Ex-Napoli manager and fellow Italian, Maurizio Sarri is expected to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Should Sarri be appointed, he would be Chelsea’s ninth full-time manager since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003.
Confirming the sack on Friday, Chelsea issued a terse 61-word statement.
It read: “During Antonio’s time at the club, we won our sixth league title and eighth FA Cup. In the title winning season, the club set a then-record 30 wins in a 38-game Premier League season, as well as a club-record 13 consecutive league victories.
“We wish Antonio every success in his future career.”
Conte has a clause in his contract that guarantees him a pay-off, thought to be £9m, for the final year.