Jose Mourinho: How much have Chelsea paid out to sacked managers since Roman Abramovich's takeover?
The Potuguese coach's potential severance pay-out of around £9.5m is below the club's average in their recent past
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Your support makes all the difference.The £9.5m compensation payout that could be awarded to Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho in the event of his dismissal would be no deterrent to owner Roman Abramovich, if the club's history with severance packages is anything to go by.
Since terminating Claudio Ranieri's contract in the summer of 2004, the Russian owner has paid out approximately £71m in 'golden handshakes' to dismissed managers, at an average of £10.1m-per-sacking.
The total, based on reported figures in established media, will come as no comfort to the Portuguese coach, who is currently in danger of being dismissed from the club for a second time.
Mourinho has overseen the club’s worst start to a season in recent memory, with the defending champions currently sitting 16th in the Premier League table, having lost seven of their opening 11 league games.
£10.1m
The average amount of compensation awarded to managers dismissed by Chelsea
As the pressure began to mount on the Chelsea manager last month, a hefty severance package was said to be the biggest obstacle against his dismissal.
After winning the Premier League title at a canter last term, the Portuguese coach had signed a new four-year contract at Stamford Bridge worth approximately £30m, apparently making any premature exit a costly exercise.
However, following his side’s disastrous defeat to Liverpool, it has been widely reported that a clause in the new deal would mean that Chelsea would only be obliged to pay Mourinho a year’s salary if they decide to terminate his contract.
The potential payment of around £9.5m would only be the fifth-highest ‘golden handshake’ to be awarded by the club since Ranieri’s sacking, the first managerial dismissal under Abramovich’s regime, and would fall below the average pay-out figure.
Mourinho’s first severance package of £18m stands as the most paid out by the club since 2004. Luiz Felipe Scolari and Andre Villas-Boas received the next highest sums, with £12.6m and £12m respectively.
Chelsea officials failed to come to an agreement with Roberto di Matteo after his dismissal in November 2012. The impasse resulted in the club paying their Champions League-winning coach £130,000-a-week until June 2014, at an approximate cost of £10.7m.
Carlo Ancelotti, one of the men in line to replace Mourinho should he be fired, had one year remaining on his Chelsea contract upon his dismissal in May 2011 and was accordingly paid £6m.
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