Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was sacked from his post on Thursday, after the club fared dismally in this year’s Premier League, AFP reported. The defending champions have been beaten in nine out of 16 games this season, having lost their last game at Leicester on Monday. Mourinho roundly criticised his players after the match at King Power Stadium, saying some of his key players had “betrayed” him by not translating their training to results on the field.

Chelsea is currently 16th in the league table, a point above the relegation spots. Mourinho had signed a four-year contract in August, his second stint in the role. He is considered the club’s most successful manager, taking them to three Premier League titles – in 2004, 2007 and 2014. Pep Guardiola, Guus Hiddink, Brendan Rodgers and Juande Ramos are among his possible successors, the BBC reported.