Roberto di Matteo has stepped down as coach of Schalke after a disappointing season that saw the Gelsenkirchen outfit finish only sixth in the Bundesliga, the club said on Tuesday.

The Italian had been in charge since October after his predecessor Jens Keller was sacked, but last Saturday's 2-0 defeat at home to strugglers Hamburg looks to have been the last straw for Schalke's board.

The 44-year-old, who coached Chelsea to the 2012 Champions League title, had steered the Royal Blues up from 11th when he took charge to third in the table in February.

But a poor run of results saw them surrender a direct spot in the Champions League and their latest defeat left them sixth in the table and in the Europa League next season.

Di Matteo announced he was resigning after a meeting with club chairman Horst Heldt, during which they failed to reach agreement on the way forward
Source: AFP