LONDON (AP) ― Roberto Di Matteo’s reign as Chelsea manager ended Wednesday when he was fired six months after guiding the Blues to an unlikely Champions League title and replaced by Rafa Benitez.

Russian owner Roman Abramovich displayed his trademark ruthlessness by getting rid of Di Matteo with the defense of the European trophy in tatters following a 3-0 loss at Juventus on Tuesday.

“The team’s recent performances and results have not been good enough and the owner and the board felt that a change was necessary now to keep the club moving in the right direction as we head into a vitally important part of the season,” Chelsea said in a statement.

Hours later, Benitez became the ninth manager in 12 years under Abramovich. Benitez, fired by Inter Milan in December 2010, previously coached Valencia and Liverpool, where he won the Champions League in 2005.

Chelsea is on the verge of becoming the first defending champion to be eliminated from the group stage. Of the Champions League. The London team also dropped to third place in the Premier League after a quick start.

The team described Benitez as a “manager with significant experience at the highest level of football, who can come in and immediately help deliver our objectives.”

Chelsea was in disarray when Di Matteo, then an assistant coach, took over when Andre Villas-Boas was fired in March. The former Italian national team midfielder brought together squabbling factions and led the team to the FA Cup title ― the club’s seventh ― and a first Champions League trophy, beating Barcelona in the semifinals and Bayern Munich in the final.

“We will never forget the huge contribution he has made to this club’s history,” Chelsea’s statement said.

Di Matteo, with his typical coolness, has been praised for the way he handled a racism case involving John Terry that engulfed the club. Chelsea is in the middle of another racism matter, having accused a Premier League referee of abusing one of its players.