Former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas was left surprised by the club’s decision to sack compatriot Jose Mourinho last month.
The Portuguese tactician paid the price as his side continued to languish in the bottom half of the Premier League table, the season after winning the trophy, as difficulties with the players emerged as one of the main reasons for the decision.
While Guus Hiddink has returned to Stamford Bridge for a second spell on an interim basis, Villas-Boas has conceded that he didn’t expect Mourinho to be sacked.
“The only thing that has been quite incredible to see is that [sacking] was applied to everybody. It was applied for their dearest coach and their most successful coach,” he told beIN Sports.
“So in the end, we have seen nothing different. Roman has sacked basically every coach he had and is no different — it happened even to the best.
“The same criteria he applied to me, to Rafa Benitez and for all the other coaches, to [Carlo] Ancelotti and now he has applied to Jose as well. And it’s [now] a new chapter.”
The former Porto boss insisted that no coach can fare better at Chelsea, with only Hiddink leaving the club on his own accord in the last nine years as Roman Abramovich has not been shy in making changes that he feels are necessary.
It remains to be seen who replaces the Dutchman at the end of the season, with the likes of Antonio Conte, Diego Simeone and Pep Guardiola all linked with the job. Despite the appeal of taking over the Premier League giants, there will inevitably be concern over the lack of time afforded to get things right and the regularity of change at the club moving forward.