Charlton Athletic have announced that they have removed manager Chris Powell from his position at the club.
The 44-year-old has been relieved of his duties after a run of five defeats from six games, which leaves the Addicks bottom of the Championship table.
Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet has revealed that he was planning to offer a new deal to Powell, but the pair did not agree on a number of key issues regarding the club's future.
"We have been working with Chris Powell and his representatives for a couple of weeks to try and agree a contract extension which would have seen us continue to work together," he told the club's official website.
"There was good progress, but we could not reach an agreement over the club's football strategy going forward. The situation put a strain on the working relationship between Chris and the board. Therefore I think it is best for all parties that we part ways at this stage.
"I would like to thank Chris for his commitment and hard work over the past three years. The club enjoyed a number of good times under his leadership. However, given the club's position in the league and the number of important fixtures upcoming, I felt this difficult decision was unavoidable at this time."
Reports have suggested that former Standard Liege boss Jose Riga will replace Powell at The Valley.
Steven Toplis
