"It also happened to Carlo Ancelotti" - Former Ballon d'Or winner refers to Chelsea as a 'strange club' for sacking Mauricio Pochettino
Former Chelsea striker Ruud Gullit has had a go at his former club for their penchant to let go managers, citing the examples of Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino.
The 1987 Ballon d'Or winner - who made 64 appearances for the Blues - lamented the trend of being impatient with managers. That was also the case with their last boss Pochettino.
The Argentinian oversaw an expensive overhaul since taking over last summer. Despite being plagued by inconsistent performances amidst injuries to key players, he took the Blues to a creditable sixth-placed Premier League finish, winning the last five games.
Gullit noted the 'strange' workings at the Blues, about simply 'making money' (as per teamTALK):
“If you don’t perform at Chelsea, you are immediately out. That is still the case. That was already the case in my time under Ken Bates. I still think it is a very strange club, it also happened to Carlo Ancelotti. Pochettino was in a difficult position, he knew that.
“And he actually managed to squeeze out a reasonable performance, although it was not great. During my period I still had the feeling: this is a football club. There was another thought behind it, with Roman Abramovich. But if you look now: you can’t really identify with that, can you? It seems like a business model; it’s just making money.”
Ancelotti managed the Blues between 2009 and 2011.
Comparing Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino's record at Chelsea
Carlo Ancelotti enjoyed a successful stint at Chelsea but was still shown the boot after a few indifferent results. In 109 games across competitions, the Italian registered 68 wins but lost 24 times.
He did win the Premier League in his first season at the club as well as the FA Cup. Now at Real Madrid, Ancelotti is on the cusp of winning his fifth UEFA Champions League, third with Los Blancos, with his side taking on Borussia Dortmund in the final at the Wembley on Saturday (June 1).
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino managed the Blues in 51 games across competitions, overseeing 26 wins and 14 losses in his lone season in charge. He didn't win any silverware but did take them to the EFL Cup final, where the Blues fell 1-0 in extra time to Liverpool. Pochettino's side also lost to holders Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup semifinal.