Hope Powell has been sacked as manager of the England women's football team. The 46-year-old had been in charge since 1998 but was criticized after England were eliminated in the group stages of Euro 2013 last month. England lost two matches and drew one in Sweden, their worst performance at a European Championship since 2001. FA general secretary Alex Horne said after "the disappointment" of Euro 2013, "the time is right to make a change and for a fresh outlook". Powell's England were losing finalists at Euro 2009 and reached the World Cup in 2007 and 2011, when they made it to the quarter-finals. Horne added: "Hope deserves a lot of credit for her commitment to developing the national teams over such a long period. "The high point was undoubtedly reaching the Uefa European Championship final four years ago. "Hope will always be welcome back at Wembley Stadium and [national football centre] St George's Park and she leaves a strong legacy, having helped the FA build the women's game to the strong position it is in today." The FA will now look to recruit both a new head coach and a technical lead for women's football. "We will be speaking to people from across the game both domestically and internationally before making any appointments," said Horne. It is understood the FA is aiming to have someone in place for the World Cup qualifier against Belarus on 21 September, although England Under-19 boss Mo Marley could act as cover. Following England's early exit in Sweden this summer, Powell was criticised for picking injured and out-of-form players. And former England internationals Faye White and Sue Smith both said players might respond positively if there was a different coach in charge for the 2015 World Cup campaign. Powell responded by saying the domestic game needed more investment if the national team wanted to compete with leading nations