The Abramovich spirit strikes again at Chelsea, but it could be for the better

Roman Abramovich may be gone, but his methods for running the club during his 19-year tenure have become a template that the Todd Boehly-led consortium consulted on Wednesday when they fired Thomas Tuchel after his 100th game as Chelsea manager.

Tuchel is gone, and he pays the price for an underwhelming start to the season in which the Chelsea owners spent more than £250 million to strengthen the team at Tuchel’s request, but the complaints and excuses became too much when the 2021 UCL winners lost their opening group game 1-0 on Tuesday to lowly Dinamo Zagreb.

A statement on the club website read: “As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition.”

Chelsea became notorious under Abramovich for their low tolerance for defeats and their replacement mentality towards whatever manager was in charge, despite previous successes. When things go wrong, Chelsea managers’ bank accounts are quickly depleted and their credibility is quickly lost.

From Jose Mourinho, the most successful Chelsea manager in history, to high-profile managers such as Carlo Ancelotti, the Blues have earned a reputation as a manager graveyard.

Abramovich appointed Tuchel after Chelsea fired Frank Lampard in January 2021. Tuchel went on to win the Champions League, defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the final.

Tuchel’s Chelsea conceded 23 goals in his first 50 games as manager, but 53 in the next 50. The miserly defensive structure was demolished, effectively ending the 49-year-old German tactician’s career at Stamford Bridge.

The historical coincidence?

Chelsea have won the Champions League twice, in 2012 and 2021, both times in Group E, and both times under interim managers.

They have also been assigned to Group E for the 2022/23 season, and Chelsea fired Tuchel on Wednesday. Will history repeat itself? Chelsea supporters want to believe!

READ ALSO: Chelsea sack Thomas Tuchel

Chelsea has had 15 managers in the last 18 years, including interim, caretaker, and permanent appointments. Mourinho has spent the most time in the saddle, with 2131 days spread across two appointments.

He is followed by Antonio Conte, who was at Chelsea for 741 days, Ancelotti, who was there for 690 days, and Tuchel, who lasted 589 days, is the fifth longest serving manager since 2003 when Abramovich bought the club.

Tuchel’s departure means the Abramovich era has effectively ended. Boehly will believe they can begin with a clean slate, free of the Russian’s influence.

Sky Sports is now reporting that the owners want Brighton’s Graham Potter to be Tuchel’s replacement.

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