In July 2003, a relatively unknown figure, a Russian billionaire named Roman Abramovich, bought Chelsea Football Club in a £140 million deal. The announcement came out of thin air, mostly due to the rapid nature of the takeover. However, this ownership change altered the fortunes of a struggling club in England and made it a world-beater. A club that had last won the English top division title in 1955 went on to win five Premier League trophies, two Champions Leagues, two Europa Leagues, five FA Cups, three League Cups, a UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup during the 19 years under Abramovich’s ownership.
However, with all this success came a lot of drama as the club adopted a chop and change strategy under the Russian owner’s guidance. This leadership direction came with a lot of criticism from both fans and pundits who claimed the strategy lacks stability, which was somewhat true as none of the managers could afford even a slight drop in performances.
At the end of the day, there is a fundamental reason as to why a total of 14 managers took their place on the Stamford Bridge touchline during Abramovich’s 19 years in west London. In terms of accolades, the Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho is the best manager to have ever coached the Blues in their history. Other than the legendary Portuguese manager, a number of big names have sat on the hot seat in the past, such as Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, Luis Filipe Scolari and Thomas Tuchel. While some have delivered, others have failed to live up to the expectations.
The new ownership is set to be finalized and take over in the coming weeks, so we saw it fit to take a look back at all the managers who have served under the Russian billionaire and rank them according to their performances:
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.
10. Avram Grant
Season: 2007 to 2008
Trophies: None
Record: 36-13-5
After Mourinho’s first spell at the club came to an end, the appointment of Avram Grant came as a big surprise to the fans. Despite the lack of experience from the Israeli, Grant did very well at the club, leading it to close to three titles. In the Premier League, Chelsea pushed Manchester United into the final day of the season. The Blues reached the League Cup final and their first Champions League final, as well, but the lack of trophies eventually saw him depart at the end of the season.
9. Rafael Benitez
Tenure: 2012 to 2013
Trophies: Europa League
Record: 28-10-10
Rafael Benitez is undoubtedly one of the most hated managers amongst the Blues’ supporters. His appointment as the club’s interim manager after the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo was not treated well by fans due to his Liverpool background and previous comments about the club. Luckily for them, the Spaniard was brought in only to steady the ship, rather than build for the future. Chelsea eventually finished third in the Premier League, but the biggest success under Benitez came in the form of the club’s first Europa League trophy.
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8. Maurizio Sarri
Tenure: 2018 to 2019
Trophies: Europa League
Record: 38-14-11
Maurizio Sarri replaced Conte at the helm. The Italian started his tenure very well, winning the first 12 matches in the Premier League and becoming the first manager to do so. Nevertheless, the good start soon tailed off rather spectacularly and soon questions started to arise about whether he would even last a season at Stamford Bridge. Sarri did win his first trophy as a manager at Chelsea, beating Arsenal in the Europa League final, but left at the end of the season for Juventus. Although he technically departed for another job, it was becoming increasingly clear by the end of the campaign that the chain-smoking Italian would be given the boot regardless.
7. Guus Hiddink (I)
Tenure: 2009
Trophies: FA Cup
Record: 16-5-1
The first interim manager under Abramovich was Hiddink, who inherited a team with the foundations of the success of Scolari. The team went on to play 22 games under Hiddink, out of which they only lost one game. The Blues finished third in the Premier League and went on to win the FA Cup by beating Everton. Chelsea was close to reaching its second consecutive Champions League final before the controversial semifinal game against Barcelona.
6. Roberto Di Matteo
Tenure: 2012
Trophies: Champions League, FA Cup
Record: 25-8-9
Di Matteo was brought in to replace Villas-Boas just to see out the season, but he would go on to become one of the best managers Chelsea has ever had. The former player turned manager led the club to its first ever Champions League trophy with the help of the same old names that Villas-Boas tried to move out of the team just months prior. The Blues finished sixth in the Premier League, but they did go on to win the FA Cup too. However, with a relatively poor start to the following season and the team demoted to the Europa League, Di Matteo was sacked.
5. Jose Mourinho (II)
Tenure: 2013 to 2015
Trophies: Premier League, League Cup
Record: 80-27-29
Chelsea appointed Mourinho for his second stint at the club where he labeled himself as “The Happy One” following his introduction. In the 2013/14 season, the Portuguese manager was tasked with leading the transition of an aging team. The first campaign saw a small growth in the side as Chelsea finished third in the Premier League, but Mourinho did very well to integrate John Terry back into the team after Benitez and Villas-Boas tried pushing the legend out of it.
In the second season, Mourinho would go on to continue his personal tradition of winning the league title in his second season at a club with the Blues easing their way to the 2014/15 Premier League trophy, blowing teams away in the first half of the season. Chelsea also won the League Cup that year with players like Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Hazard all becoming an important part of the team’s attack.
However, in the third season, things would turn sour. The preseason tour started in the worst possible way, losing against the likes of the New York Red Bulls. Having won the league title with three games still left to be played, it felt as if complacency had set in the squad leading to a major downfall in performances. Another incident that made the club environment more toxic was when Mourinho had criticized his medical staff in between a game that Chelsea was losing. This resulted in a court case against the manager. The last big factor that resulted in The Happy One’s demise was his own trusted senior players not turning up for the season. This saw the manager sacked for a second time as the side stood just one spot above the relegation zone.
4. Thomas Tuchel
Tenure: 2021 to Present
Trophies: Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup
Record: 55-19-12
Appointed after the difficult sacking of club legend Lampard, it would have been a tough ask for any manager in the world to win over the fans—it took only a few weeks for Thomas Tuchel. He wrote his name in the history books after just four months, confirming his place as one of the most successful managers in the club’s storied history.
When the German took over, the Blues were languishing in ninth in the Premier League table. To make matters worse, they were about to face a tough challenge from Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16. Tuchel did not back down though. Instead, the German gaffer sorted out the defense by changing the formation and playing with three at the back. This change saw Chelsea unbeaten in its next 14 games, in which it conceded only twice.r
Not everything was going well with the master tactician as the attack had somewhat staggered and not shown its full potential. The Blues edged out a top four finish on the final day of the season and reached the final of the FA Cup, which they eventually lost to Leicester City. None of that mattered in the end though as Tuchel delivered Chelsea’s second Champions League title, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final from Porto.
Tuchel started his first full season with silverware too, winning the UEFA Super Cup and the Blues’ first FIFA Club World Cup title complete the set for Abramovich. The Premier League form has not been as good as some fans would have wanted as the title race is again a two-horse race with Chelsea sitting in third. A League Cup final loss to Liverpool on penalties ensued and another FA Cup final is still to come against the same opponent. There is now hope that Tuchel can stay at the club for years to come and even become the best manager the Blues have had in their history.
3. Carlo Ancelotti
Tenure: 2009 to 2011
Trophies: Premier League, FA Cup
Record: 67-20-22
After the unsuccessful appointment of Scolari and Hiddink returning to Russia, Mr. Ancelotti was given the job at Chelsea. The Italian was a success domestically for the club, leading them to the Premier League and FA Cup double—the only time the club has achieved this in its history.
During their Premier League win, the Blues scored a then-record breaking 103 goals that included 7 or more-goal victories on four occasions. An 8-0 win over Wigan Athletic on the final day sealed the title before a 1-0 win over Portsmouth wrapped up the FA Cup. Despite the successful end to his first season, small cracks started to appear toward the conclusion. There were doubts about Ancelotti’s ability to motivate some players, about his tactical impact and power to change to a Plan B when Plan A was not working. All of this coincided with a change in rationale by the owner, who wanted Chelsea to be more youthful and exciting.
The next season, the Italian started with a depleted squad due to a bad summer transfer window. The likes of Michael Ballack, Joe Cole and Deco were not replaced in the squad, which left obvious holes. Ancelotti gave chances to a few young up and coming players—such as Jeffrey Bruma and Josh McEachran—but they were not always a success. As the season went on, the manager had his own personal issues, which also contributed to his downfall at the club.
The Blues went on to splash the cash in the January transfer window and bring in the likes of Fernando Torres and David Luiz, but neither of them were the signings the manager wanted to make. Positive results in the month of March and April meant that Chelsea would finish in the second spot in the Premier League, but this was not deemed good enough by the Russian owner after a huge investment, which resulted in the sacking of Ancelotti.
2. Antonio Conte
Tenure: 2016 to 18
Trophies: Premier League, FA Cup
Record: 69-17-20
After the Mourinho Pt. II project had failed miserably, Italian National Team manager Antonio Conte was hired by Abramovich. He was given the hard task of transforming a disheveled Chelsea team that had finished 10th the previous season and turning them around quickly.
The start to the Italian’s tenure was good with three back-to-back wins in the Premier League. However, with two consecutive defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal saw Conte change the formation to his preferred three at the back. This change was seen as a groundbreaking moment in his debut campaign. The tactical switch saw players like Victor Moses—who was lost in the loan system beforehand—integrated into the first team and what a revelation it turned out to be.
Chelsea went on a 13-game winning run, which included six consecutive clean sheets, following the formational shift. This was the catalyst for the Blues’ eventual Premier League title victory. They went on to set a record at the time (it’s since been broken) with 30 wins in a domestic campaign. Chelsea even reached the FA Cup final, but it was beaten by Arsenal.
Unfortunately, the second season turned out to be rather poor. Conte informed Diego Costa that he was not in his plans for the future, but the manager informed the Spaniard in a text message, which angered the Chelsea hierarchy. Apart from this, Conte was known to have tantrums when he didn’t get the players he wanted in the transfer market. The same thing happened during the second season and it resulted in Conte never really getting all of the players he wanted to bring into the club. An opening day loss to Burnley and defeats to the likes of Bournemouth, Newcastle, Watford and West Ham summed up Chelsea’s season, despite the Italian winning the FA Cup in his last match for the Blues. He was let go right before the start of the following season, but the lovable manager’s huge successes in such a short time earn him a high ranking on this list.
1. Jose Mourinho (I)
Tenure: 2004 to 2007
Trophies: Premier League (x2), League Cup (x2), FA Cup
Record: 124-40-21
In his first press conference after being introduced as Chelsea manager for the first time, Mourinho dubbed himself “The Special One.” While some perceived this as arrogance, little did they know how special his first tenure would truly be at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho came over from Porto fresh off an unexpected Champions League-winning run with the Portuguese giants, so it’s safe to say the expectations were quite high.
Mourinho built a formidable (to say the least) Chelsea side that featured one of the best—if not the best—defenses the Premier League has ever seen. Going up against Arsenal’s Invincibles of the previous season, the Blues lost just one game against Manchester City and conceded only 15 goals in the 38-game Premier League campaign. Even today, when most of the records of old have fallen, the Mourinho-led side still holds the record for best defense in English top flight history. The Blues would also go on to break the Premier League record for the most points (95), which lasted till the 2017/18 Premier League season.
In his second season, Mourinho’s Chelsea successfully defended its Premier League title, earning the only back-to-back league triumphs in the club’s history. That same season, just like the last, Chelsea went on to win the League Cup too. By the time the third season started for the Portuguese manager, there were reports of some unrest between Abramovich, Mourinho and the Blues’ hierarchy. These allegations were addressed by Mourinho and said to be not true, but the cracks did start to appear. Mourinho completed his set of trophies after he won the FA Cup by beating Man United in 2007.
Mourinho left the club by mutual consent in December of that same year, much to the surprise of the fans. However, he had already cemented his place in the history books and those magical achievements land him the top spot on this list.
Where would you rank each manager of the Abramovich era? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!