Chelsea managers under Roman Abramovich

Chelsea managers under Roman Abramovich

Maurizio Sarri has become the latest manager to leave Chelsea after he was named Juventus boss.

Sarri was the 13th managerial appointment made by owner Roman Abramovich since he took over the club in the summer of 2003, with Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink each having two spells.

Here, Press Association Sport looks at how those men have fared.

Claudio Ranieri – Sep 2000-May 2004

Claudio Ranieri as Chelsea manager
Claudio Ranieri’s days were numbered under Roman Abramovich (Phil Noble/PA)

Jose Mourinho – Jun 2004-Sep 2007

The Portuguese established himself as a Chelsea hero, winning back-to-back league titles in his first two seasons, one FA Cup and two League Cups. His departure only a month into his fourth season by ‘mutual consent’ was unexpected.

Avram Grant – Sep 2007-May 2008

Chelsea managers under Roman Abramovich
(PA Graphic)

Luiz Felipe Scolari – Jul 2008-Feb 2009

Luiz Felipe Scolari checks his watch as Chelsea take on Bolton
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s time in charge did not go as planned (Dave Thompson/PA)

Guus Hiddink – Feb 2009-May 2009

Hiddink was appointed until the end of the season and combined his duties with his post as Russia manager. He lost only one match and won the FA Cup but could not be persuaded to stay.

Carlo Ancelotti – Jul 2009-May 2011

Carlo Ancelotti lifts the Premier League trophy
Carlo Ancelotti lifts the Premier League trophy (Nick Potts/PA)

Andre Villas-Boas – Jun 2011-Mar 2012

Hailed as the new Mourinho, Villas-Boas’ tenure at Stamford Bridge was not a happy one. After talk of a player revolt, he was sacked with Chelsea outside the Champions League places.

Roberto Di Matteo – Mar 2012-Nov 2012

Roberto Di Matteo is saluted by his Chelsea players after FA Cup victory
Roberto Di Matteo is saluted by his Chelsea players after FA Cup victory (Nick Potts/PA)

Rafael Benitez – Nov 2012-May 2013

Benitez was the club’s latest interim manager, and unpopular with Chelsea fans because of his Liverpool past. The Spaniard won the Europa League and led the team to a third-place finish in the league.

Jose Mourinho – Jun 2013-Dec 2015

Jose Mourinho, left, and assistant Rui Faria celebrate winning the Premier League
Jose Mourinho, left, was able to celebrate another title (Mike Egerton/PA)

Guus Hiddink – Dec 2015-May 2016

Hiddink’s second caretaker spell could not match the impact of his first but he did manage to stabilise the club.

Antonio Conte – Jul 2016-Jul 2018

Antonio Conte kisses the Premier League trophy
Antonio Conte’s early success gave way to a difficult second season (Mike Egerton/PA)

Maurizio Sarri – Jul 2018-Jun 2019

The club won Sarri’s first five league games at the helm and were unbeaten in 12, but a relative dip early in the new year put their Champions League qualification in doubt and saw Sarri’s tactics questioned. They recovered to finish third, reached the League Cup final and won the Europa League but still find themselves seeking a new manager.

– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –