Roman Abramovich says Chelsea will continue to be ‘pragmatic’ with their managerial changes after the decision to replace Frank Lampard with Thomas Tuchel.
Lampard was sacked as Chelsea manager in January after a poor run of form, while the club remain unbeaten since Tuchel took charge.
The German coach is the 15th manager during Abramovich’s 18-year reign at the London team, and the Chelsea owner claims their ‘long-term ambition’ is always at the forefront of his mind when he makes any change.
‘I think we are pragmatic in our choices,’ Abramovich told Forbes. ‘And we are comfortable making the right changes at the right time to ensure we can achieve our long-term ambitions.
‘I hope it also says something about the clarity of the long-term ambition of the club.
‘Those who join understand the objectives both on the pitch, as well as the wider positive role the club plays in the community.’
On the Chelsea women’s team, Abramovich said: ‘Chelsea is not just the men’s first team. Chelsea is a community. It’s the women’s team, it’s the youth teams, it’s the academy, it’s support to former players of the club,’ he said.
‘It’s something that we started to do since day one. The reason is that we approached Chelsea as a community. And people within the community—there are children, there are women, there are men, there are former players, there are current players, there are future players – all of them need to be welcomed and part of how we conduct the business.
‘I see no reason why clubs wouldn’t want to support women’s football and provide the best possible opportunity for them to succeed.
‘For me, this is both about the principle, but, also, women’s football has huge potential. If women’s football received the same level as support as men’s football, the sport would obviously be equally successful on the business side.”
‘And I think investment pays off. I think their success demonstrates what can be achieved when you dedicate resources and the right leadership. ‘Emma Hayes has been remarkable in her work with the team.’
