Roberto Martinez paid the price
for Everton's Premier League nosedive when he was relieved of his
dutieswith one game of the season still to play.
The club's board acted swiftly to dismiss Martinez in the wake of Wednesday night's 3-0 defeat at Sunderland, which kept the Wearsiders up and extended Everton's recent run to one win in their last 10 games.
The 42-year-old was to have faced protests from fans at the club's player of the year dinner, scheduled for Thursday but which has now been postponed, and at Saturday's final home game against Norwich.
But now attention will turn to appointing a successor to the Spaniard with Frank de Boer - who resigned from his role as Ajax coach also on Thursday - emerging as the clear early favourite.
Martinez, who succeeded David Moyes in 2013 and had three years left on his contract, had insisted at the Stadium of Light that the players were still "100 per cent" behind him.
But the board, including new majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, clearly disagreed, issuing a statement which read: "Everton Football Club regrets to announce that Roberto Martinez has left his position as first team manager with immediate effect.
"The chairman and the board of directors would like to place on record their thanks for the dedication and commitment Roberto has shown during his three seasons with the club.
The club's board acted swiftly to dismiss Martinez in the wake of Wednesday night's 3-0 defeat at Sunderland, which kept the Wearsiders up and extended Everton's recent run to one win in their last 10 games.
The 42-year-old was to have faced protests from fans at the club's player of the year dinner, scheduled for Thursday but which has now been postponed, and at Saturday's final home game against Norwich.
But now attention will turn to appointing a successor to the Spaniard with Frank de Boer - who resigned from his role as Ajax coach also on Thursday - emerging as the clear early favourite.
Martinez, who succeeded David Moyes in 2013 and had three years left on his contract, had insisted at the Stadium of Light that the players were still "100 per cent" behind him.
But the board, including new majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, clearly disagreed, issuing a statement which read: "Everton Football Club regrets to announce that Roberto Martinez has left his position as first team manager with immediate effect.
"The chairman and the board of directors would like to place on record their thanks for the dedication and commitment Roberto has shown during his three seasons with the club.
"Roberto has been a great ambassador for the club, conducting
himself, at all times, with the utmost integrity and dignity. He secured
the club its highest ever Premier League points total, a place in the
last 16 of the Europa League and appearances in both domestic cup
semi-finals.
"He has also played a key role in the development of several young players, managing their progression to the Everton first team and international honours."
Martinez joined Everton in 2013 after leading Wigan to an unlikely FA Cup triumph, and took them to 11th place in his first season in charge.
But a testing current campaign slumped to a new low in a 4-0 derby defeat to Liverpool last month, and an FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United all but ended any hopes Martinez had of retaining his role beyond the summer.
The timing of Martinez's departure will inevitably fuel speculation over a move for de Boer, who leaves Ajax having failed to win back the Eredivisie title from arch-rivals PSV last weekend.
"He has also played a key role in the development of several young players, managing their progression to the Everton first team and international honours."
Martinez joined Everton in 2013 after leading Wigan to an unlikely FA Cup triumph, and took them to 11th place in his first season in charge.
But a testing current campaign slumped to a new low in a 4-0 derby defeat to Liverpool last month, and an FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United all but ended any hopes Martinez had of retaining his role beyond the summer.
The timing of Martinez's departure will inevitably fuel speculation over a move for de Boer, who leaves Ajax having failed to win back the Eredivisie title from arch-rivals PSV last weekend.
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