Claudio Ranieri has left his job as Chelsea FC manager.

Record spending
The English Premiership club has confirmed the dismissal of the Italian, who was appointed in September 2000. Chelsea finished second in the Premiership and reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, but in the summer they spent a record sum of more than €150m after the arrival of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich as owner.

'First-class job'
A Chelsea spokesperson said: "Claudio has done a first-class job for the club and paved the way for future success. We would like to wish Claudio all the best for the future. We are discussing the exact terms of his departure with him and his representatives."

Former clubs
Ranieri, formerly in charge of Valencia CF, AC Fiorentina and Club Atlético de Madrid, hinted that he would like to stay in the Premiership after rumours began to circulate of his impending departure.