Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea future is in question following a meeting of the London club’s board of directors.
Owner Roman Abramovich led the talks after the champions were beaten 2-1 at Leicester on Monday.
It was their ninth Premier League defeat in 16 games and left them a point above the relegation places.
It is not yet clear what the club will do or whether Mourinho, 52, will be in charge for Saturday’s home game against fellow strugglers Sunderland.
Mourinho, in his second spell in charge of Chelsea, was given Abramovich’s public backing in October, but domestic results have not improved since.
The Russian’s instinct has always been to keep backing the man who brought the Premier League title back to Stamford Bridge last season and signed a new four-year contract in August.
However, Chelsea’s form has collapsed, with the loss at Leicester leaving them 16th in the table with 15 points.
Abramovich and the rest of Chelsea’s hierarchy are weighing up how long they can afford to wait for improvement.
The Blues are 20 points behind leaders Leicester and 14 off the Champions League places, with a crucial last-16 tie against Paris St-Germain to come in that tournament.
The other dilemma is whether to deprive Mourinho, a manager with a proven track record of success, the opportunity to turn things around.
The January transfer window will soon open, giving the club the chance to bring in new faces and maybe get rid of a few old ones.
Mourinho turned on his players after Monday’s defeat at The King Power Stadium, claiming they had “betrayed his work”.
The Blues conceded goals to Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, with Mourinho insisting he had warned his players about the danger they posed.
In response, midfielder Cesc Fabregas said his team-mates needed to justify their “big wages” and start playing like “big players”.
He was one of seven players the Blues manager said had been underperforming at the start of the season.
The other problem facing Abramovich and Chelsea is the lack of an available, quality successor.
The unemployed Carlo Ancelotti has already been sacked by the Blues, while other potential targets, such as Bayern Munich’s Pep Guardiola and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone, out of reach at present.
It has led to speculation Chelsea may turn once more to Guus Hiddink on a temporary basis.
The 69-year-old Dutchman had a spell as caretaker boss in 2009, guiding the club to FA Cup success.
Source: BBC
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