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London, Jan. 26 (IANS): Frank Lampard, who has been sacked as Chelsea head coach, has said that it was a "huge honour and privilege" to manage the club, adding he is disappointed he was not given the time to take the Blues "to the next level".
Lampard was sacked by Chelsea on Monday following a poor run of recent results, with Roman Abramovich deciding that change was needed to get the club back on track in the Premier League.
A former England and Chelsea midfielder, Lampard had joined the Blues as head coach on July 4, 2019.
"It has been a huge privilege and an honour to manage Chelsea, a club that has been a huge part of my life for so long. Firstly, I would like to thank the fans for the incredible support that I have received for the last 18 months. I hope they know what that means to me.
"When I took on this role I understood the challenges that lay ahead in a difficult time for the football club," Lampard wrote in a statement on Instagram.
"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 Abramovich, the board, players, my coaching team and everyone at the club for their hard work and dedication, especially in these unprecedented and challenging times. I wish the club and the team every success in the future," he added.
Chelsea has not yet announced Lampard's successor. However, Thomas Tuchel is expected to be appointed as club's new head coach.
Chelsea are currently placed at the ninth spot in Premier League 2020-21 standings with 29 points from 19 matches.