by Roman Abramovich is preparing to make Thomas Tuchel the 11th permanent managerial appointment of his Chelsea project, which dates back to his arrival in 2003.
Frank Lampard’s exit on Monday brings Abramovich’s tally to 10 sacked full-time managers, including one he didn’t bring in - Claudio Ranieri - with Maurizio Sarri the only appointment to leave by his own accord; in 2019 when he took the Juventus job.
Chelsea’s rapid, and at times brutal, turnover of managers is rightly slammed by many, but it’s proved to be a ruthlessly efficient system that has won the Blues multiple trophies; including five Premier Leagues and the Champions League.
But while it may be effective, it’s come at a pretty hefty expense, not that it seems to bother billionaire Abramovich, who hasn’t shied away from whipping out his wallet whenever he deemed necessary.
The first victim of Abramovich’s callous cull was Mr Nice guy Claudio Ranieri, who received £6m upon his departure in 2004 - scroll down for the complete listings (as stated by The Times)
In came Jose Mourinho, who spent a hugely successful three-and-a-bit-years at the helm, until he too was shown the door. This time at a cost of £23.1m for the Portuguese and his coaching staff.
Avram Grant was handed £5.2m following his hat-trick of runners-up finishes, Luiz Felipe Scolari was given £12.6m for just seven months work, while Carlo Ancelotti received £6m.
Andre Villas-Boas accrued £12m after his nine month spell, and a further £10.7m was taken home by Roberto Di Matteo, who was sacked despite winning the Champions League and FA Cup a few months earlier.
Frank Lampard became the 10th manager sacked by Roman Abramovich
Mourinho’s bank balance swelled by a further £8.3m following the conclusion of his second spell, then came the gargantuan cost of Antonio Conte’s exit which reached a massive £26.6m due to a combination of compensation for the Italian and his staff, plus legal costs following an unsavoury drawn out saga.
The financial details of Lampard’s sacking haven’t yet been revealed, but according to Telegraph journalist Matt Law: “Chelsea will presumably only have to pay Lampard six months’ of his annual wage, around £2 million, as severance.”
This is actually pretty minuscule when compared to many of Lampard’s predecessors to other exits, but still the total cost of Abramovich’s sackings is likely to hover around the £112.5m mark.
Cost of Chelsea sackings
Claudio Ranieri £6m
Jose Mourinho: £23.1m
Avram Grant: £5.2m
Luiz Felipe Scolari: £12.6m
Carlo Ancelotti: £6m
André Villas-Boas: £12m
Roberto Di Matteo: £10.7m
José Mourinho: £8.3m
Antonio Conte: £26.6m (inc legal costs)
Frank Lampard: Not yet known, but reportedly £2m
Total: Approx, £112.5m
