Days after his team missed the playoffs, Terry Francona is no longer the manager of the Boston Red Sox, the team announced Friday.

In a statement, general manager Theo Epstein said, “Nobody at the Red Sox blames Tito for what happened at the end of this season; we own that as an organization. This year was certainly a difficult and draining one for him and for us. Ultimately, he decided that there were certain things that needed to be done that he couldn’t do after eight years here, and that this team would benefit from hearing a new voice.”

Boston went 7-20 this September, allowing the Tampa Bay Rays to pass them for the American League wild card playoff spot on the last day of the regular season.

At a news conference, Francona emphasized that the decision was his. He said he “was frustrated that there were some things I wanted to accomplish that we could not get done.”

“I always said when I came here that if it was time for me to go, I’d go, Francona said. “And now, it’s time.”

Francona, 52, led the team to two World Series championships.

According to MLB.com, the Red Sox had until October 8 to decide whether to exercise the $4.25 million option they held on Francona’s contract for 2012.