Roberto di Matteo was sacked by Chelsea in the early hours of yesterday morning.

While his dismissal wasn't confirmed until mid-morning, the Daily Mail says Di Matteo was fired by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck and chief executive Ron Gourlay at the club's training ground at 3am yesterday after they returned from Turin, where their defeat to Juventus left the club in serious danger of becoming the first Champions League holders to go out in the group stage.

The 42-year-old Italian was crushed to be axed only six months after he guided Chelsea, a club he also served with distinction as a player, to Champions League and FA Cup glory as an emergency replacement for the dismissed Andre Villas-Boas.