Roman Abramovich - cc
Chelsea are reportedly chasing quite a few successors to Andre Villas-Boas. They are linked with Joachim Löw, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Rafa Benitez, Fabio Capello, Sven-Göran Eriksson and even Harry Redknapp.
It doesn’t really matter to us who will be the manager at the end of the day, but we at Soccerissue would like to offer him some advice and recommend a few clauses to add to his contract before signing at Stamford Bridge.
1. Salary
1.1. I’m the only Alpha dog
Make him the person with the highest salary in the club. In an ego-filled dressing room with many self-proclaimed alpha-dogs, the guy with the biggest, erm… contract is automatically superior.
2. Day to day operations
2.1 Do not interfere
Abramovich must not interfere with football matters. Strikers such as Andrei Shevchenko and Fernando Torres got way too much playing time because the big boss was pressing the manager to play them.
3. Players
3.1 Complete control over club transfers
The manager must have the final word, and nothing less. Chelsea’s transfer market activity is similar to a rich kid who simply cannot control himself, even though he knows his actions Don’t make any sense. It is necessary for the club to have a vision in regards to the players purchased. Don’t sign a contract without Abramovich understanding it as well.
3.2 Complete control over contract renewals
Players at Chelsea feel that they don’t need to impress the manager in order to get a new contract, and allow themselves to do anything they want. If the manager is the only guy they need to impress to win a new contract, they will strive for a better relationship with him.
4. Media
4.1 A quarterly mass media interview by the owner
Roman Abramovich must break his habit of silence and talk to the British press at least once a quarter. In his interviews\press conferences he must emphasize that he is behind the manager and his vision of the club. Enough with the secrecy and anonymous “votes of confidence”.
5. Directors
5.1. Only the manager can speak about football matters
Don’t let any non-football directors talk about football matters - not with the players, fans or football staff. Too many “opinions” undermined the manager in front of his players and the press. Shut it!
5.2 Say no to “financial” pressures
Former Chelsea manager Felipe Scolari has revealed that in Chelsea “you can’t buy or sell a player because he has a contract with A, B or C, a kit supplier or something else”. This is absurd. No more of this crap.
6. Work duration
6.1 Contract length
Make it a 10 year contract. Roman Abramovich wants Chelsea to play like Barcelona. This cannot happen in 8 months, or even 5 years. Playing such a style with homegrown talent takes at least ten years. Make sure the Oligarch, who turned into a billionaire overnight because of Glasnost, financial short-cuts, semi-kosher economic activities and once-in-a-lifetime deals in Russia understands it.
WHAT TO DO NOW?