Ever since the departure of Jose Mourinho in September 2007, it seems like there's a never ending carousel of managers in and out of Chelsea Football Club. One after another. One manager steps in, he succeeds, and is subsequently shown the door. Why? That's what everyone is trying to figure out.
First some background information.
Chelsea was founded in 1905. In it's first 100 years as a club, it only captured one division one title. That came in the 1954-1955 season. From then on came a long period of mediocrity. From 1955 to 1963, Chelsea finished no higher than 12th in division one, and spent a season in division two. From 1963 to 1972, the club finished every season in the top half of the table even finishing as high as third twice. From 1973 to 1984, they spent seven seasons in the second division and two in the top division where they finished 16th and 22nd. In the second half of the 80's and most of the 90's, Chelsea finished in the second half of the league one table, except for a few years where they finished sixth, fourth, and third. Then from 1999 to 2003, Chelsea hovered near the top of the table. During that period they finished no lower than sixth and finished in the top four three times.
There finally seemed to be a light at the end of a 48 year tunnel.
That light was Roman Abramovich - a Russian business tycoon worth billions of dollars. Abramovich purchased the companies that owned Chelsea Football Club in June 2003. In the 2003-2004 season, the first year under Abramovich's ownership, Chelsea were runners-up in the English Premiership to Arsenal F.C. Chelsea were right there. They were at the cusp of greatness. One place away from their first league title since 1955 (and second in club history). Following that season, Abramovich brought in the first of many managers.
1) Jose Mourinho (June 2004-September 2007)
In his first season as manager, Jose Mourinho brought Chelsea to its first league title since 1955. Then in the subsequent season, Chelsea won the Barclays English Premier League title again. Two titles in back-to-back seasons. Two titles in Mourinho's two seasons. Two titles in Abramovich's third season as owner.
Mourinho would also lead Chelsea to two League Cup titles, an FA cup title, and a community shield victory. In 185 games at the club, Mourinho had won 67% of them, and had won or drawn in 89%. Quite remarkable in any sports standards. However in September 2007, after three very successful years, Mourinho cut ties with the London club. The departure was a breakup of "mutual consent" by Mourinho and Abramovich - I mean Chelsea.
2) Avram Grant (September 2007 - May 2008)
Avram Grant became the interim manager due to Mourinho leaving the managerial position during the 2007-2008 English Premiership season. In one season under Grant, Chelsea finished second in the premiership, and runners-up in both the League Cup and the UEFA Champions League. He coached 54 games, winning 67% of them, and winning and drawing 91% of matches managed. The club only lost five games under him yet he was shown the door after the 2007-2008 campaign.
3) Luiz Felipe Scolari (July 2008- February 2009)
Scolari stepped in as manager in July 2008. Under Scolari, Chelsea recorded 20 wins, 11 draws, and five loses. However, in February 2009 he was given the boot. He had managed to win or draw 86% of the games he coached. Chelsea were in fourth place at the time of his sacking.
3.5) Ray Wilkins stepped in for one game to manage Chelsea while the club sought after a replacement for Scolari. Chelsea won 3-1 in that match.
4) Gus Hiddink (February 2009 - May 2009)
In Hiddink's three months as manager, yes three, he managed to post a 16 win, five draw, and ONE LOSS record. Chelsea under Hiddink won the FA Cup, finished third in the league, and made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Chelsea won 73% of its matches. Once again the club only lost one game. But, unbelievably, Hiddink was no longer at the helm of Chelsea F.C. at the end of the 2008-2009 season (It is believed he left to honor a pre-existing contract he had with the Russian national team).
5) Carlo Ancelotti (June 2009 - May 2011)
The former AC Milan manager had brought success to the rossoneri and Abramovich was hoping he could do the same at Chelsea. And he did. Under Ancelotti, Chelsea won the 2009 Community Shield, the 2010 FA Cup, and the 2009-2010 Premier League title. In the following season, Chelsea did not win any competitions and finished second in the Premiership. Due to the lack of hardware, Ancelotti was fired. During his tenure at the club, Ancelotti posted a 67 win, 20 draw, and 22 lose record.
6) Andre Villas-Boa (June 2011 - March 2012)
Villas-Boa did not last a whole season at Chelsea. During his time with the club, he posted the lowest win percentage of any manager hired by Abramovich: 48%. The team went 19-11-10 (W-D-L) under Villas-Boa. After an early quarter-final exit in the League Cup, falling behind to Napoli 3-1 in goal aggregate in the round of 16 in the Champions league, and losing a disappointing match to West Bromich Albion in the Premiership, Villas-Boa became the sixth managerial casualty on March 4, 2012.
7) Roberto Di Matteo (March 2012 - November 2012)
Di Matteo inherited a bad 2011-2012 campaign. The team was in position to not finish in the top four for the first time since the 2001-2002 season (they would finish the season in sixth place). However, Chelsea and Di Matteo were able to salvage their lost season. Chelsea would win the 2012 FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League. The Champions league victory was the club's first ever. And it is what many believe has been Abramovich's biggest prize. Going into the 2012-2013 season, Abramovich had high expectations, like always. Three months into the season Chelsea were in the top four, but were losing ground fast on the Manchester teams. Then in mid-November, Di Matteo was sacked due to an "unacceptable" run of results.
8) Rafael Benitez (November 2012 - Present)
And this brings us to our eighth and current manager under Roman Abramovich: Rafael Benitez. Benitz is no stranger to the Premiership or winning. Benitez managed Liverpool F.C. from 2004-2010. Under Benitez, the club won the UEFA Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006. The club had also finished as high as second under the Spaniard.
Eight different managers have been appointed during the Abramovich reign. Six of the first seven had winning records at Chelsea F.C. The people brought in were some of the top names in soccer. Hiddink and Scolari had coached in world cups. Ancelotti and Mourinho had won the Champions League with their respective teams before coming to Chelsea (Benitez also, but he is still currently employed at C.F.C.). Di Matteo and Grant managed to have successful tenures also. But none of it was good enough.
All Abramovich knows is success. Whether it be in business or in soccer. He had started with little and now is worth, according to a 2011 approximation, $13.4 billion. He started with a hungry, silverware dreaming club and fan base. Now he has won three Premier League titles, two League Cups, four FA Cups, four Community Shields, and one Champions League title. Abramovich wants to succeed so at the first hint of failure he fires his manager. Is he that success-savy that he can smell failure before it rears its ugly head? Maybe he has been correct with every firing. Maybe the public can't see what he sees in his club and in his managers. Or is he just a success crazed business tycoon that can't accept failure and flies off the handle every time his team begins to preform poorly?
Probably a little bit of both.
It seems no one will ever know why the Chelsea managerial position is cursed, and why Abramovich is never happy.
First some background information.
Chelsea was founded in 1905. In it's first 100 years as a club, it only captured one division one title. That came in the 1954-1955 season. From then on came a long period of mediocrity. From 1955 to 1963, Chelsea finished no higher than 12th in division one, and spent a season in division two. From 1963 to 1972, the club finished every season in the top half of the table even finishing as high as third twice. From 1973 to 1984, they spent seven seasons in the second division and two in the top division where they finished 16th and 22nd. In the second half of the 80's and most of the 90's, Chelsea finished in the second half of the league one table, except for a few years where they finished sixth, fourth, and third. Then from 1999 to 2003, Chelsea hovered near the top of the table. During that period they finished no lower than sixth and finished in the top four three times.
There finally seemed to be a light at the end of a 48 year tunnel.
That light was Roman Abramovich - a Russian business tycoon worth billions of dollars. Abramovich purchased the companies that owned Chelsea Football Club in June 2003. In the 2003-2004 season, the first year under Abramovich's ownership, Chelsea were runners-up in the English Premiership to Arsenal F.C. Chelsea were right there. They were at the cusp of greatness. One place away from their first league title since 1955 (and second in club history). Following that season, Abramovich brought in the first of many managers.
1) Jose Mourinho (June 2004-September 2007)
In his first season as manager, Jose Mourinho brought Chelsea to its first league title since 1955. Then in the subsequent season, Chelsea won the Barclays English Premier League title again. Two titles in back-to-back seasons. Two titles in Mourinho's two seasons. Two titles in Abramovich's third season as owner.
Mourinho would also lead Chelsea to two League Cup titles, an FA cup title, and a community shield victory. In 185 games at the club, Mourinho had won 67% of them, and had won or drawn in 89%. Quite remarkable in any sports standards. However in September 2007, after three very successful years, Mourinho cut ties with the London club. The departure was a breakup of "mutual consent" by Mourinho and Abramovich - I mean Chelsea.
2) Avram Grant (September 2007 - May 2008)
Avram Grant became the interim manager due to Mourinho leaving the managerial position during the 2007-2008 English Premiership season. In one season under Grant, Chelsea finished second in the premiership, and runners-up in both the League Cup and the UEFA Champions League. He coached 54 games, winning 67% of them, and winning and drawing 91% of matches managed. The club only lost five games under him yet he was shown the door after the 2007-2008 campaign.
3) Luiz Felipe Scolari (July 2008- February 2009)
Scolari stepped in as manager in July 2008. Under Scolari, Chelsea recorded 20 wins, 11 draws, and five loses. However, in February 2009 he was given the boot. He had managed to win or draw 86% of the games he coached. Chelsea were in fourth place at the time of his sacking.
3.5) Ray Wilkins stepped in for one game to manage Chelsea while the club sought after a replacement for Scolari. Chelsea won 3-1 in that match.
4) Gus Hiddink (February 2009 - May 2009)
In Hiddink's three months as manager, yes three, he managed to post a 16 win, five draw, and ONE LOSS record. Chelsea under Hiddink won the FA Cup, finished third in the league, and made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Chelsea won 73% of its matches. Once again the club only lost one game. But, unbelievably, Hiddink was no longer at the helm of Chelsea F.C. at the end of the 2008-2009 season (It is believed he left to honor a pre-existing contract he had with the Russian national team).
5) Carlo Ancelotti (June 2009 - May 2011)
The former AC Milan manager had brought success to the rossoneri and Abramovich was hoping he could do the same at Chelsea. And he did. Under Ancelotti, Chelsea won the 2009 Community Shield, the 2010 FA Cup, and the 2009-2010 Premier League title. In the following season, Chelsea did not win any competitions and finished second in the Premiership. Due to the lack of hardware, Ancelotti was fired. During his tenure at the club, Ancelotti posted a 67 win, 20 draw, and 22 lose record.
6) Andre Villas-Boa (June 2011 - March 2012)
Villas-Boa did not last a whole season at Chelsea. During his time with the club, he posted the lowest win percentage of any manager hired by Abramovich: 48%. The team went 19-11-10 (W-D-L) under Villas-Boa. After an early quarter-final exit in the League Cup, falling behind to Napoli 3-1 in goal aggregate in the round of 16 in the Champions league, and losing a disappointing match to West Bromich Albion in the Premiership, Villas-Boa became the sixth managerial casualty on March 4, 2012.
7) Roberto Di Matteo (March 2012 - November 2012)
Di Matteo inherited a bad 2011-2012 campaign. The team was in position to not finish in the top four for the first time since the 2001-2002 season (they would finish the season in sixth place). However, Chelsea and Di Matteo were able to salvage their lost season. Chelsea would win the 2012 FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League. The Champions league victory was the club's first ever. And it is what many believe has been Abramovich's biggest prize. Going into the 2012-2013 season, Abramovich had high expectations, like always. Three months into the season Chelsea were in the top four, but were losing ground fast on the Manchester teams. Then in mid-November, Di Matteo was sacked due to an "unacceptable" run of results.
8) Rafael Benitez (November 2012 - Present)
And this brings us to our eighth and current manager under Roman Abramovich: Rafael Benitez. Benitz is no stranger to the Premiership or winning. Benitez managed Liverpool F.C. from 2004-2010. Under Benitez, the club won the UEFA Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006. The club had also finished as high as second under the Spaniard.
Eight different managers have been appointed during the Abramovich reign. Six of the first seven had winning records at Chelsea F.C. The people brought in were some of the top names in soccer. Hiddink and Scolari had coached in world cups. Ancelotti and Mourinho had won the Champions League with their respective teams before coming to Chelsea (Benitez also, but he is still currently employed at C.F.C.). Di Matteo and Grant managed to have successful tenures also. But none of it was good enough.
All Abramovich knows is success. Whether it be in business or in soccer. He had started with little and now is worth, according to a 2011 approximation, $13.4 billion. He started with a hungry, silverware dreaming club and fan base. Now he has won three Premier League titles, two League Cups, four FA Cups, four Community Shields, and one Champions League title. Abramovich wants to succeed so at the first hint of failure he fires his manager. Is he that success-savy that he can smell failure before it rears its ugly head? Maybe he has been correct with every firing. Maybe the public can't see what he sees in his club and in his managers. Or is he just a success crazed business tycoon that can't accept failure and flies off the handle every time his team begins to preform poorly?
Probably a little bit of both.
It seems no one will ever know why the Chelsea managerial position is cursed, and why Abramovich is never happy.