Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has admitted he is "disappointed" not to have had the chance to reverse the club's fortunes following his dismissal on Monday.
Lampard, 42, was relieved of his duties after 18 months in charge and with Chelsea languishing in ninth place in the Premier League table. Their position is a consequence of an alarming slump in form which comprises five defeats in the past eight games having briefly held top spot following a 17-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
"It has been a huge privilege and an honour to manage Chelsea, a club that has been a big part of my life for so long," read a statement posted on Instagram from Lampard, who spent 13 illustrious years as a Blues midfielder, winning three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League. He is also Chelsea's all-time leading goalscorer with 211 goals.
It was his immense contribution as a player that no doubt influenced his appointment in July 2019, having spent a solitary season as manager of second-tier Derby County.
Lampard faced immediate challenges upon his return to Stamford Bridge, with the club under a transfer embargo and unable to sign a replacement for Eden Hazard after the team's best player was sold to Real Madrid.
With expectations comparatively low for a club with notoriously high demands, Lampard guided Chelsea to a top-four finish in the Premier League and the FA Cup final while giving plenty of opportunities to Academy players, with the likes of Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, and Reece James now established regulars.
However, after a summer that saw Chelsea spend around €250 million ($304m) on new players, expectations were decidedly higher this season and the club have deemed Lampard to be falling below those standards.
"Firstly, I would like to thank the fans for the incredible support that I have received over the last 18 months. I hope they know what that means to me," Lampard wrote.
"When I took on this role I understood the challenges that lay ahead in a difficult time for the football club.
"I am proud of the achievements that we made, and I am proud of the Academy players that have made their step into the first team and performed so well. They are the future of the club.
"I am disappointed not to have had the time this season to take the club forward and bring it to the next level.
"I want to thank Mr Abramovich, the board, players, my coaching team, and everyone at the club for their hard work and dedication, especially in this unprecedented and challenging time.
"I wish the team and the club every success in the future."
Former Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel is the favourite to replace Lampard.
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
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Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
WORLD RECORD FEES FOR GOALKEEPERS
1) Kepa Arrizabalaga, Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea (£72m)
2) Alisson, Roma to Liverpool (£67m)
3) Ederson, Benfica to Manchester City (£35m)
4) Gianluigi Buffon, Parma to Juventus (£33m)
5) Angelo Peruzzi, Inter Milan to Lazio (£15.7m
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
Related
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
CREW
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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Atalanta v Juventus (6pm)
AC Milan v Napoli (9pm)
Torino v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Sunday
Bologna v Parma (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Lazio (6pm)
Roma v Brescia (6pm)
Verona v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Udinese (9pm)
Lecce v Cagliari (11.45pm)
Monday
SPAL v Genoa (11.45pm)
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.