Chelsea’s Farcical Roman Empire

th of May 2012, Roman Abramovic finally got his hands on the UEFA Champions League. It was the trophy he had coveted the most since purchasing Chelsea in the summer of 2002, so it was no surprise to see him hold his prize aloft at the Allianz Arena, his face awash with contentment after years of pumping ludicrous amounts of money into the club in order to realise his primary goal. A decade had almost passed before that night, during which seven managers had faced the axe before Roberto Di Matteo, the caretaker, awarded his boss with football€™s Holy Grail in the most adverse, and seemingly insurmountable circumstances. On this long path littered with controversy, some great names in football were disposed of by Abramovic as if they were novelty objects, so it was a complete shock to see an aging Chelsea team still possessing stalwarts from the Mourinho era overcome the odds to become champions of Europe. However, in the post-match ecstasy uncertainty hung over the jubilant players, of which no amount of champagne could nullify. Though Di Matteo had achieved a feat that his predecessors could not, everybody knew, fans and players alike, his face was not befitting of Abramovic€™s prospective footballing dynasty. Therefore, as the indignant reactions to the Italian€™s sacking came thick and fast in today€™s media, can anybody say that they are genuinely shocked by the news? Some people in the footballing world have claimed to be alarmed, but they are surely aware of the perilous consequences a string of defeats or a spell of bad form will bring to any manager in this day and age, especially when the man made redundant was an employee of Chelsea Football Club. It is saddening that Di Matteo has been given the chop after his commendable work since taking over in March, bringing two pieces of silverware and a more enthralling, continental style of football to Stamford Bridge, and yet the outcome was always on the horizon. After all, everybody knows that the only man who counts at Chelsea is the chairman, who watches proceedings from the stands with the ruthless eyes of a seasoned predator, springing upon the first exposure of weakness. Although the Russian€™s riches have brought glory back to the Bridge, his incessant tinkering and interference will ensure that Chelsea never become the indomitable force that he so desperately wants them to be. If the rumours are correct, he has already marked his next target in the form of former Barcelona chief Pep Guardiola, one of the finest managers out there today with already a wealth of success and big-game experience despite being only 42 years of age. But, having witnessed the farce of the Roman Empire over the years, will the Spaniard dare set foot in London on such precarious ground? Sure, he is a man with a formidable resume, but so were Mourinho and Ancelotti, two of the finest leaders in the modern game. If things were to become stagnant, even for a brief period, Guardiola would not be immune to falling foul of Abramovic€™s quick-fire decision making. His reputation could be bruised, left in the dumps, his previously immaculate work dirtied by a tycoon who views football as a plaything and not a unifying sport of the people. In Roman€™s world, everything and everyone is expendable, loyalty a hollow word used by the old-school who have retained a sense of morality as the game spirals out of control. Though this may sound utterly preposterous to some, perhaps Chelsea would be better off if they were freed from their chairman€™s clutches and given a fresh start, for though they would be broke, their supporters might feel a sense of belonging and involvement with their club once more.