Ranking every Chelsea manager under Roman Abramovich

15. Andre Villas-Boas

Tenure: 2011 to 2012
Trophies: None
Record: 19-11-10

After the surprise sacking of the Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, Andres Villas-Boas was named the next Chelsea head man. The buzz was high around the coach dubbed the next Mourinho, but things never worked out as the Portuguese manager tried to phase out the experienced players, which resulted in abysmal performances. It turns out that sacking Villas-Boas was the right thing as the team went on to win the FA Cup and its first Champions League title in the months following his departure.

14. Guus Hiddink (II)

Tenure: 2015 to 2016
Trophies: None
Record: 10-11-6

The 2015/16 season for the Blues was one to forget. Guus Hiddink’s services were required for a second time to turn the tide at the club after it was in turmoil, just one spot above the relegation spot four months into the season. Hiddink’s side went out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 stages and reached only the quarterfinal of the FA Cup. A 10th place finish in the Premier League was achieved, but Hiddink’s second interim reign was nowhere near as successful as the first, as he could only win 10 of the 27 games he managed.

13. Luis Filipe Scolari

Tenure: 2008 to 2009
Trophies: None
Record: 20-11-5

In the summer of 2008, Luis Filipe Scolari became the first World Cup winning boss the manage in the Premier League. The Brazilian had a great start to his Chelsea tenure as he masterminded a 12-match unbeaten run, but results turned sour over the Christmas period. Is anyone surprised? After only seven months in charge, the draw at home to Hull City proved to be his final game in west London. In a recent interview, Scolari stated that injuries to key players and issues with Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka were the main cause of his downfall.

12. Frank Lampard

Tenure: 2019 to 2021
Trophies: None
Record: 44-17-23

Frank Lampard was appointed as the Chelsea manager when the club was under a transfer embargo. To make matters worse, club legend Eden Hazard had just left Chelsea for his dream destination, Real Madrid. In his first season in charge, Super Frank finished inside the Premier League’s top four, which no one expected, and gave breakthrough opportunities to young talents like Tammy Abraham, Reece James and Mason Mount, amongst others. However, after the successful debut campaign, Lampard decided to transform the squad by spending a large sum of money on players like Kai Havertz and Timo Werner. The high-cost acquisitions struggled to adapt to Lampard’s system, which became the major reason he was sacked in January 2021.

11. Claudio Ranieri

Tenure: 2000 to 2004
Trophies: None
Record: 95-44-45

Claudio Ranieri was the first manager who served under Abramovich, but he could last only one season in the dugout following the Russian’s arrival. Before the takeover, Ranieri had done well with Chelsea, leading the club to the 2002 FA Cup final and slowly moving the Blues up the league. Under Abramovich, Chelsea finished second in the league behind the Invincibles of Arsenal. What eventually led to Ranieri’s downfall was his decision-making against Monaco in the Champions League semifinal, which resulted in the team surrendering a 2-0 lead.