Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says he was saddened by his club's decision to sack Portuguese football coach Jose Mourinho following a patch of poor form.
The London club axed Mourinho in December 2015 after a string of below-par performances which almost had them in the relegation zone.
"We had a wonderful season being champions, but this season has been different. I was sad when a top manager like Mourinho got sacked, but you have to move forward," Courtois was quoted as saying by goal.com on Saturday.
"You cannot look to the past, you have to look forwards and we were in a bad situation so the club took a decision and, as players, we knew we had to improve."
Chelsea are currently 12th in the points table in the Premier League, 14 behind fourth placed Manchester City and the Belgian has ruled out a top-four finish.
"We are doing well and we can maybe move up the table, but top-four is out of the question. The most important is the FA Cup and the Champions League. That's our main aim," Courtois said.
"It's nice to win a trophy every season and say every year: 'Okay I won something.' Winning a trophy would be a good way to finish a bad season in a positive way. But I'm not obsessed by the fact I have to win a trophy every year. It's a nice thing but I know it's sometimes impossible."
