It takes something very special to force ruthless oligarch Roman Abramovich to concede to having made a mistake, but if we are to remember that 2004 press conference in London, that is exactly what Jose Mourinho is. If any Chelsea supporters are disgruntled at the relative lack of value for money on the domestic front in the last number of years, with one title paraded around the London suburbs in the last seven seasons, all they need to do is look at the pivotal moment that occurred in September 2007. Following a glorious three year regime, in which the self-dubbed Special One had delivered Chelseas first two league titles since 1955, two Carling Cups, an FA Cup and a Community Shield, jaws almost fell out of Chelsea supporters heads when news broke that their Messiah had been given the chop. For the bones of a year, Mourinho had grown disillusioned by the constant interferences from above, with speculation rife that £30 million man Andriy Shevchenko was very much thrust upon him by the meddling owner. Like with every stale relationship, the subtle nuances that had attracted each other in the beginning such as Joses charismatic confidence and Romans penchant for opening his wallet had bristled into unbearable characteristics that the two men had learned to loathe. With Chelsea having been usurped by Manchester United in the Premier League title race the previous season, and once again falling short in the Champions League, Abramovich was ready to pull the plug. After all, for a man as powerful as he, every manager in the world was at his disposal.
When Mourinho returned to his Stamford Bridge hot-seat last summer after six years away, it felt like a champion was returning home. He may have a few more grey hairs now than he did during his first spell with the Londoners, but the same fiery, win-at-all costs attitude still burns deep within the Portuguese tactician. Keeping journalists in jobs with dozens of sound bites, receiving weekly fines for refereeing criticisms like him or loathe him, the Premier League has been a duller place without him.
For Chelsea supporters, they will just hope that Roman has learned his lesson this time.
Which other managers bit the dust before they ever deserved to? Share your picks below in the comments thread.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
