A list of Chelsea managers: find out who has coached Chelsea

Chelsea has a rich history of winning trophies and playing attacking football orchestrated by the best coaches who have served the club over the years. It is one of the most popular and successful clubs in football. We break down a full list of Chelsea managers since its inception.

The Blues, founded in 1905, enjoyed their glory days during Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's era from 2003 to 2022. Legendary managers like Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, and Gianluca Vialli have brought them immense success and prestige. Discover more about the club's tacticians and their achievements.

List of Chelsea managers

The Blues have had plenty of head coaches/managers during their history. The club also had interims/ caretakers and player-managers. Here is a quick look into the list of all Chelsea managers arranged in order from John Robertson to Mauricio Pochettino.

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Ruud Gullit and Tommy Docherty are the only ones who coached the Blues as players. Those who only served as Chelsea's caretaker managers include Bruno Saltor, Steve Holland, Eddie Newton, Ray Wilkins, Graham Rix, and Frank Upson.

Chelsea's last 10 managers

Argentine Mauricio Pochettino took over managerial duties at the club in May 2023, joining a long line of tacticians who have coached the Blues. Here is a breakdown of Chelsea's last ten coaches, their profile and achievements from the club's official website.

10. Roberto Di Matteo

• Full name: Roberto Di Matteo
• Date of birth: 29 May 1970
• Age: 53 (as of January 2024)
• Birthplace: Schaffhausen, Switzerland
• Nationality: Swiss, Italian
• Titles won: 2 (FA Cup, UEFA Champions League)

The Italian had a dazzling eight-month reign at Stamford Bridge. Di Matteo played for Chelsea as a midfielder before returning to serve as an assistant then head coach. He was Chelsea's manager in 2012, leading the club to their first UEFA Champions League title.

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9. Rafael Benitez

• Full name: Rafael Benítez Maudes
• Date of birth: 16 April 1960
• Age: 63 (as of January 2024)
• Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
• Nationality: Spanish
• Titles won: 1 (UEFA Europa League)

Although Benitez's signing was unpopular among Chelsea fans because of his allegiance to rivals Liverpool, the Spaniard delivered during his tenure. Rafa helped the Blues finish third in the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League.

8. Jose Mourinho

• Full name: José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix
• Date of birth: 26 January 1963
• Age: 61 (as of January 2024)
• Birthplace: Setúbal, Portugal
• Nationality: Portuguese
• Titles won (2013-2015): 2 (Premier League, Football League Cup)

Jose Mourinho returned to Chelsea for his second spell in 2013 after guiding them from 2004 to 2007. He began his second tenure with multiple titles. However, the 2015/16 season brought more challenges, with the club languishing in 16th place, forcing his exit.

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7. Guus Hiddink

• Full name: Guus Hiddink
• Date of birth: 8 November 1946
• Age: 77 (as of January 2024)
• Birthplace: Varsseveld, Netherlands
• Nationality: Dutch
• Titles won (2015-2016): None

Hiddink is a legendary figure in Chelsea's dugout. His first reign was in 2009 before returning in 2015 to fix the crisis left by Mourinho. The Dutch tactician guided the Blues to tenth in the EPL.

6. Antonio Conte

• Full name: Antonio Conte
• Date of birth: 31 July 1969
• Age: 54 (as of January 2024)
• Birthplace: Lecce, Italy
• Nationality: Italian
• Titles won: 2 (Premier League, FA Cup)

Conte became the fifth Italian to manage Chelsea after Gianluca Vialli, Claudio Ranieri, Carlo Ancelotti, and Roberto Di Matteo. Antonio transformed the club into one of the best teams with his trademark three-man defence of David Luiz, César Azpilicueta, and Gary Cahill.

5. Maurizio Sarri

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• Full name: Maurizio Sarri
• Date of birth: 10 January 1959
• Age: 65 (as of January 2024)
• Birthplace: Naples, Italy
• Nationality: Italian
• Titles won: 1 (UEFA Europa League)

Sarri joins the list of successful Italian managers at Stamford Bridge, having led the Blues to their second UEFA Europa League title in 2019. He helped Chelsea finish top four in the Premier League and runner-up in the EFL Cup.

4. Frank Lampard

• Full name: Frank James Lampard
• Date of birth: 20 June 1978
• Age: 45 (as of January 2024)
• Birthplace: Romford, London, England
• Nationality: English
• Titles won: None

The legendary Chelsea midfielder James Lampard had a glittering career, but his coaching stint did not go well. He ended his first season with a top-four finish and an FA Cup final but was sacked midway through the second season. Lampard returned in April 2023 until the end of the season.

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3. Thomas Tuchel

• Full name: Thomas Tuchel
• Date of birth: 29 August 1973
• Age: 50 (as of January 2024)
• Birthplace: Krumbach, West Germany
• Nationality: German
• Titles won: 3 (UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup)

Tuchel replaced Lampard in January 2021 after building his reputation in the Bundesliga with Mainz and Borussia Dortmund. He led the Blues to their second UEFA Champions League title. Unfortunately, the German got sacked a few weeks into the 2022-23 season.

2. Graham Potter

• Full name: Graham Stephen Potter
• Date of birth: 20 May 1975
• Age: 48 (as of January 2024)
• Birthplace: Solihull, England
• Nationality: English
• Titles won: None

Potter became the first managerial appointment of new owner Todd Boehly, who bought the club from Roman Abramovich. Graham recorded the lowest points-per-game return of any manager in the club's history with 12 wins in 31 games in all competitions. He lasted seven months, entering the latest list of managers sacked by Chelsea.

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1. Mauricio Pochettino

• Full name: Mauricio Roberto Pochettino Trossero
• Date of birth: 2 March 1972
• Age: 51 (as of January 2024)
• Birthplace: Murphy, Argentina
• Nationality: Argentine
• Titles won: None

The former Tottenham Hotspur and PSG tactician joined the Blues in May 2023 after agreeing to a two-year deal to become the new head coach. Since taking over, the club has made gruelling progress despite languishing in the mid-table positions.

Frequently asked questions

Historically, Chelsea has been known for playing an aggressive and offensive style of football, as implemented by most of its coaches. Here are some frequently asked questions about Chelsea's managers.

Who is Chelsea's most successful manager?

Regarding trophies, Jose Mourinho is the most successful on the list. The 'Special One' won the most trophies in the club's history, including three Premier Leagues, one FA Cup, three League Cups, and a Community Shield. His win rate (63.5%) is the third-best, behind Antonio Conte (65.1%) and Avram Grant (67%).

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Who are the top 5 Chelsea managers?

Besides Mourinho, other Chelsea coaches with impressive records include Ted Drake, Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Di Matteo, and Gianluca Vialli. Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte also rank among the best.

How many managers did Roman Abramovich sign?

The list of Chelsea managers under Roman Abramovich's tenure is 13. His first employee was Claudio Ranieri in 2003, and his last was Thomas Tuchel in 2022.

Who was the Chelsea manager in 2008?

Brazilian tactician Luiz Felipe Scolari was the Blues head coach from June 2008 to February 2009. However, he failed to win a title in his tenure.

Final word

The list of Chelsea managers features legendary football figures who shaped the club's history through their ideologies. Today, many young players dream of playing for the Blues to be a part of the rich history.

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