ROMAN ABRAMOVICH was today searching for his eighth Chelsea manager in eight years after after giving Andre Villas-Boas just eight months in charge.

Villas-Boas became the latest Blues boss to be sacked by the ruthless Russian after spectacularly failing to live up to his billing as the brightest young coach in the game.

The 34-year-old lost his job less than 24 hours after yesterday's Barclays Premier League defeat at West Brom, which left the Blues fifth in the table.

Abramovich delivered the news personally, the billion-aire owner, chief executive Ron Gourlay and director Eugene Tenenbaum taking Villas-Boas aside after training to inform him of his fate.

The trio then told assistant manager Roberto Di Matteo that he would be in charge until the end of the season before informing the players.

Di Matteo's appointment ended speculation Rafael Benitez would be brought in until the summer but the former Liverpool boss remains the bookies' favourite to succeed Villas-Boas.

Other contenders could be ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and ex-England boss Fabio Capello.

Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said he was sorry to see AVB axed. He said: "The news is not surprising.

"There was all the build-up in the media and obviously the results haven't been kind to him. But it is disappointing because he is a young manager."