Roman Abramovich has spent a staggering £112.5 million paying off sacked managers since taking over as Chelsea owner in 2003.
Frank Lampard’s axing was the 14th managerial change of the Russian’s tenure – and among the cheapest.
Of his predecessors, only interim bosses Rafael Benitez and Guus Hiddink, twice, walked away with less – having merely seen out the duration of their short-term contracts.
Even Avram Grant was due £5.2m in May 2008 – having staggeringly been offered a four-year contract the previous December.
He was sacked for merely reaching the Champions League final.
Italian duo Carlo Ancelotti and Claudio Ranieri, who was not initially hired by Abramovich, both walked away with £6m in the bank, having both just finished as Premier League runners-up – and in the former’s case, having won the double a year previously.
Jose Mourinho was given the boot twice by Roman; first in 2007 with an eye-watering £23.1m pay-off.
And eight years later it was a case of deja vu – although this time it was just the £8.3m in the back pocket – taking his Chelsea sack total to £31.4m.
Champions League winner Roberto Di Matteo lasted six months after winning the big prize – but at least he could be comforted by his medal… and his £10.7m pay off.
His predecessor Andre Villas-Boas had walked away with £12m earlier in 2012 – and would reportedly go on to pocket another £4.5m from Spurs the next year.
Luiz ‘Big Phil’ Scolari was one of Abramovich’s more forgettable hires, but that didn’t stop him raking in £12.6m after not even reaching March of his first season.
Disposing of Antonio Conte was possibly the most painful of all for Roman, however, having had to pay the Italian and his staff an astonishing £26.6m after winning the FA Cup in his second campaign.
