Chelsea finally SACK Antonio Conte after reaching £9m agreement to terminate his contract and will appoint Maurizio Sarri as his successor.
Antonio Conte's time as Chelsea manager came to an end on Thursday with Maurizio Sarri poised to take over.
There was no confirmation from Stamford Bridge of Conte's exit but an afternoon training session was cancelled as the change moved a step closer.
Cesc Fabregas and former captain John Terry were quick to post messages of thanks on social media, although several Chelsea players were known to be considering their futures at the club if the manager had stayed.
Chelsea have agreed a compensation package which could be worth up to £9million with Conte, who had one year left on his contract.
They are in the process of clearing out his backroom staff so former Napoli boss Sarri can start ahead of the first pre-season fixture in Australia a week on Monday. Gianfranco Zola will return to Chelsea on Sarri's staff.
Fitness coach Chris Jones is expected to leave to team up with Frank Lampard at Derby.
Chelsea have been casting around for successors to Conte since midway through last season. The 48-year-old Italian won the Premier League title in his first season and the FA Cup in his second but his relationship with the board was damaged beyond repair last summer.
He flirted with Inter Milan, ostracised striker Diego Costa and failed to communicate with the club during a tense summer.
Then he returned with a series of public complaints about the lack of transfer business. Form went awry and players turned against him as his mood darkened and outbursts became more regular.
When Chelsea won the FA Cup, Willian posted a celebratory photograph on Instagram in which Conte was obscured by trophy emojis. It was noted at the club that Willian was one of the most placid members of the squad and if he felt that way then others did too.
The discontent did not help negotiations with Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard, both resisting new contracts and wanted by Real Madrid.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had been reluctant to pay Conte's compensation on a point of principle. He hoped the Italian might find another job but the manager dug in for the money.
Sarri has been replaced in Naples by Carlo Ancelotti, but he remained under contract, so Abramovich was forced to negotiate compensation for his release.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have made an improved £60m offer for Willian after Chelsea rejected their initial £50m bid.
FABREGAS IS PLEASED AFTER 63 DAYS OF CONFUSION AT CHELSEA!
Chelsea's decision to sack Antonio Conte was influenced by fears over his relationship with key players and Cesc Fabregas appears to be one of them after the Spaniard liked a tweet from a fan celebrating the Italian's dismissal.
He later said he didn't mean to like the tweet and wished Conte well following his exit. Fabregas tweeted: 'Thank you Mister for another Premier League title and FA Cup. It wasn't easy for me to convince you in the beginning but in the end I hope I did you proud! Good luck for the future. #CFC.'
The club had wanted to sack Conte at the end of last season but could not reach an agreement with Napoli to appoint Maurizio Sarri as his replacement.
It has been 63 days since Conte won the FA Cup for Chelsea in his last game in charge, but the club have finally taken action after a breakthrough in talks over Sarri's compensation fee.
He is expected to be announced as their new boss in the coming days.
