Roman Abramovich acquired Chelsea in 2003 and 19 years later, he is set to sell the club in dramatic fashion due to the political climate following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Abramovich single-handedly turned the Blues into what they are today and while there were many ups and downs throughout his two decades at the helm, there are things that many associated with Chelsea to this day that characterized the club under Abramovich. These things aren’t exhaustive by any means, but here are four major traits that characterized the Blues under the oligarch’s ownership:
1. Ruthlessness
This, of course, should be the first. Many, both Chelsea and non-Chelsea fans alike, associated the club with the constant sacking of managers. That is not just a narrative either as Abramovich hired 13 different managers in his time as the Blues owner, most of them getting sacked less than two years into their reign. In fact, he did his first manager sacking just one year into his tenure, replacing Claudio Ranieri with Jose Mourinho, who won the Champions League by knocking out Abramovich’s Chelsea in the semifinal in the first season of his tenure (2003/04). This ruthlessness often drew mixed reactions from fans and pundits alike, but it is hard to argue that it wasn’t effective after the club went on to win a plethora of trophies, which we’ll get to later.
Opinions about sackings often varied amongst fans based on personal preference, with many agreeing with the firings as they often blamed the managers they didn’t like. Some others blamed the sackings of managers they did like on players or blaming it on irrational behavior by Abramovich himself. Nevertheless, Abramovich is a businessman that has an extensive empire to show for his shrewdness, and so he always took calculated risks when making these decisions. It’s much cheaper to replace one manager than it is to back the same head coach (which often implies getting rid of as many players that clash with said manager, and replacing those players).
It was often difficult to argue with the reason for the sackings, what was disputable was many things leading up to that sacking. For instance, many thought the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte to be especially harsh, but Ancelotti had just won the league at a canter and was expected to win it again. He didn’t and he was canned. Conte had also just won the league, and he got Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morata, amongst other players. He was expected to at least qualify for the Champions League. He didn’t and he was subsequently sacked.
Was it realistic to expect Ancelotti to win the league again or were the signings acquired for Conte of the quality with which to expect him to achieve his goals? These are debates that could be had for years. However, these managers clearly did not achieve the objectives laid out for them, and they faced the same fate as their predecessors. Abramovich’s decisions have always been geared toward getting the best outcome for the club, which they often did.
2. Resilience
Chelsea was a resilient team under Abramovich year in and year out. Much of the success the club has enjoyed has stemmed from the resilience of key players on the pitch. Chelsea fans will remember many matches where the team was outmatched—and even outnumbered—yet still won almost by sheer force of will. The second leg of the semifinal of the 2012 UEFA Champions League against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona instantly comes to mind. The quarterfinals of the same competition where Chelsea went into the second leg already 3-1 down, winning that one 4-1 after dragging the game to extra time, also comes to mind.
There are countless examples of this. Grit, force of will, a refusal to lose and a willingness to fight, and they have been all the Blues have needed to win in several key moments. One cannot help but feel like Abramovich’s ownership style definitely played a part in that success.
The most memorable squad of the Abramovich era had this resilience in spades. A squad that was symbolized by Didier Drogba leading the line, John Terry leading from the back, Petr Cech being a brick wall between the sticks and Frank Lampard pulling the strings from the middle of the park. Chelsea won its first Champions League title in the twilight of these players peaks. The Blues had gotten to the final with Avram Grant at the helm in 2008, and lost to Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. They would not get to another European final until the 2011/12 season.
That season was also unique because Chelsea had sacked the manager it started the season with in Andre Villas-Boas. Roberto Di Matteo was appointed as an interim and while many didn’t expect much, the players thought differently. The Blues overcame many difficult circumstances that season to win the Champions League and the FA Cup, though they finished sixth in the table.
3. Milestones, broken records and Jose Mourinho
Chelsea broke and set countless records under the ownership of Abramovich. One of the key appointments of the Russian was that of the aforementioned Special One, Mourinho. The Portuguese manager has won the joint-second most league titles (3) in the Premier League era, and he was only Chelsea manager for four full seasons, getting sacked in the third seasons of both his first and second tenures.
Here are just some of the records set by Chelsea under the guidance of Mourinho:
Jose Mourinho
- Joint-second most Premier League titles (3)
- First Portuguese manager to win the Premier League
- Won Chelsea the league title for the first time in 50 years
- Best head-to-head record against Sir Alex Ferguson
- Best head-to-head record against Arsene Wenger
- Most wins in a Premier League season (29, broken by Conte and Guardiola)
- Fewest goals conceded in a Premier League season (15)
- Most clean sheets in a Premier League season (25)
- Fewest goals conceded from open play (9)
- Back-to-back league titles, first since Alex Ferguson
Chelsea
- Most goals by a team in a Premier League season (broken by Guardiola)
- Most wins in a league season (30, broken by Guardiola)
- Most goals by a defender in Premier League history (40, Terry)
- Most clean sheets in the Premier League era (Cech)
- Most goals by a non-striker in Premier League history (177, Lampard)
- Most goals by a Chelsea player in all competitions, all time (211, Lampard)
The Mourinho-led 2004/05 title-winning team was one penalty kick away from equaling Arsenal’s unbeaten, invincible season. Mourinho also accounts for three out of Chelsea’s five Premier league titles. He also won the league back-to-back, doing so for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man United. He created an impressive head-to-head record with prominent managers in the Premier League like Ferguson and Wenger. Mourinho even went on to ruin Wenger’s 1000th game milestone celebration by thrashing Wenger’s Arsenal 6-0. Overall, Abramovich’s hiring on the Special One went on to be one of the best decisions he ever made during his 19 years.
4. Trophies and conquering club football
Chelsea has won a ridiculous 19 major trophies in as many years during the Russian billionaire’s watch as owner. These include two UEFA Champions League trophies, two UEFA Europa League titles, five Premier League titles, five FA Cup titles and three League Cup titles. In addition, the Blues added the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup titles to their trophy case under Abramovich earlier this season. This makes Chelsea one of only six clubs to have won all trophies available at club level. The Blues have won more trophies that any other English club since the Russian took over. Many have accused Chelsea of ruining football and buying trophies, an accusation that Chelsea fans proudly wear like a badge of honour.
Chelsea was a good side when Abramovich took over, but the Blues did not become a European powerhouse until he transformed them. It’s easy to link Chelsea’s success to just spending money, but as it has shown in the last few years, spending money alone guarantees nothing. Man United has spent more money than the Blues in the last four years, and it doesn’t even have a single trophy to show for its financial efforts. Perhaps most importantly, Abramovich created a structure that enabled the Blues to be self-sustainable and run seamlessly, even without his presence. Abramovich has been unable to get into England over the last few years due to an issue with his visa, but Chelsea did not skip a beat during that time. Instead, the Blues just kept being the ruthless and efficient, resilient and trophy-winning side they’ve always been under the care of Abramovich’s right hand woman, Director Marina Granovskaia.
Abramovich may be well on his way to selling Chelsea as soon as a few days from now. Although it may not be Abramovich’s Chelsea for much longer, the club is where it is today because of his efforts. The Russian will always be one of the undisputed best owners in English football’s rich history due to the success he brought to west London. Chelsea fans only need to look around the capital to see clubs that are owned by billionaires that couldn’t care less how their clubs did—not Chelsea, not Abramovich. All of that just goes to show the depth of the impact made by Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich.
What are some of the defining characteristics you remember from Abramovich’s time as owner? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!