17 December 2015•Update: 18 December 2015
ANKARA
English Premier League champions Chelsea have sacked their manager Jose Mourinho after the team’s worst season-start in decades.
Despite being crowned champions seven months ago, Chelsea has lost nine matches out of first 16 games of the season.
“Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have today parted company by mutual consent,” the club said in a statement Thursday.
“But both Jose and the board agreed results have not been good enough this season and believe it is in the best interests of both parties to go our separate ways,” the statement added.
Mourinho -- often dubbed the ‘Special One’ -- managed Chelsea from 2004 to 2007 and returned to the club in summer 2013.
"His three league titles, FA Cup, Community Shield and three League Cup wins over two spells make him the most successful manager in our 110-year history," the club said in the statement.
Chelsea said that the club’s "focus is now on ensuring our talented squad reaches its potential" and "there will be no further comment until a new appointment is made".
Chelsea is positioned 16th in the Premier League table with only 15 points after 16 matches. Media reports say that was champion’s worst start to a season since 1978.
Fifty-two-year old Mourinho has previously won the Champions League titles with Porto and Inter, as well as well as being the first manager to win championships in Portugal (Porto), England (Chelsea), Italy (Inter) and Spain (Real Madrid).
