© Ben Sutherland (Flickr) Chelsea Football Club
© Ben Sutherland (Flickr)
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich ruthlessly removed manager Carlo Ancelotti from his post just hours after the club’s final day defeat in their trophiless 2010/2011 Barclays Premier League season. It is believed that Ancelotti was informed of his fate whilst on-board the team coach, having left the ground insisting he did not know of his fate. Despite winning a Premier League and F.A. Cup double in his first season in charge, the club claim the Italian was axed because “this season’s performances have fallen short of expectations and the club feels the time is right to make this change ahead of next season’s preparations.” Following defeat to Everton, Chelsea finished the season 2nd in the table, 9 points behind champions Manchester United and above Manchester City only on goal difference. Abramovich hired Carlo Ancelotti in the summer of 2009, after a turbulent year that saw the billionaire Russian oil magnate appoint two managers in one season.
Brazil’s World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari lost his job after just 7 months in charge and was replaced by Abramovich’s personal friend Guus Hiddink, though the Dutchman could only agree a short-term deal until the end of the season as he already had an agreement in place to take over as coach of the Russian national team. Intriguingly, it was revealed after his axing that a clause in Ancelotti’s cotranct preventing him from managing another English club within 12 months of leaving Chelsea was removed as the club and manager parted company.