WHEN Roman Abramovich purchased Chelsea from Ken Bates on this day in 2003, no
one could have predicted how the Russian’s arrival would shake up the
Premier League.
Having seen Manchester United dominate the English football landscape since
the introduction of the revamped top flight, the Blues were soon to become a
force powerful enough to lock horns with Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering
squad.
Of course, the critics will point to the fact that Abramovich turned his team
into genuine challengers by throwing money around. And they would be right.
In his first summer in charge, the billionaire bankrolled the arrival of
£150million worth of talent, with stars such as Hernan Crespo, Claude
Makelele and Juan Sebastian Veron arriving at Stamford Bridge.
SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT ... Hernan Crespo was one of many big signings
Along with opening his wallet on a regular basis, the first term of the
Abramovich era gave an indication of his ruthless streak as boss Claudio
Ranieri quickly became known as the ‘Dead Man Walking’ before the axe fell
at the end of the campaign.
Managers have come and gone on a frequent basis since then, but the first
decade of the oligarch's reign has delivered three Premier League titles,
four FA Cups, two League Cups, the Champions League title he so dearly
craved and the Europa League.
An estimated £874m has been spent on transfers with another £1.5billion on
wages, but Chelsea’s silent supremo has indicated he is far from finished.
And as the Londoners look ahead to a bright future, SunSport runs the rule
over the top five signings and top five flops the Blues faithful have grown
to love and hate in equal measure over the last 10 years.
TOP FIVE SIGNINGS
1) Jose Mourinho
OK, the Special One wasn’t a signing in the traditional sense and cost far
less than the endless procession of stars who followed him to Stamford
Bridge, but the Abramovich era would not have cranked into gear without him.
THE SPECIAL ONE ... Jose Mourinho remains Chelsea's most successful manager
Having won the Champions League in his final season with Porto, Mourinho
replaced Claudio Ranieri in June 2004 and won both the League Cup and the
Premier League in his first season in charge.
The Blues successfully defended the title the following campaign and the
Portuguese delivered another League Cup and the FA Cup before departing in
September 2007 by ‘mutual consent’.
Chelsea fans — along with Abramovich and Co — will hope the outspoken boss
will enjoy just as much success the second time around.
2) Didier Drogba
SIGNING for the Blues in July 2004 for £24m, Drogba took time to settle
despite scoring in just his third competitive game for the club with a
header against Crystal Palace.
Initially, his histrionics did not go down well with the critics or the Bridge
faithful, but the powerful Ivorian soon won them over by becoming one of the
club’s tried and trusted lieutenants.
The hitman quickly proved he was the man for the big occasion and developed a
taste for scoring goals at Wembley.
Having already won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups
and two Community Shields, the Drog ensured his place in the club’s history
books by scoring Chelsea’s equaliser in the Champions League final against
Bayern Munich before netting the decisive penalty in the shootout.
JUST CHAMPION ... Didier Drogba ensured Chelsea became kings of Europe
3) Claude Makelele
WHEN Makelele arrived at the Bridge in 2003, Ranieri declared: “I have a
fantastic watch. It is run by a battery and Claude is my new battery. Claude
is very important for the future of Chelsea. He is a playmaker. The best.”
At the time, many laughed off the comments but Makelele proved to be
everything the Italian had described him as.
The Frenchman made the Blues tick and the former Real Madrid man became an
even more influential figure when Mourinho arrived in London.
By the time he left the Bridge for Paris Saint-Germain in 2008, Makelele had
won two league titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups and the Community Shield.
Not only that, the holding midfielder with the beaming smile even managed to
score
TWO goals before heading home to France.
THE BATTERY ... Claude Makelele made Chelsea tick
4) Ashley Cole
AFTER his acrimonious split from Arsenal in 2006, which saw him dubbed
‘Cashley’ by the Gunners faithful, Cole set about silencing his critics in
the only way he knows how — by winning trophies.
He had already become accustomed to silverware having twice won the league
title and three FA Cups in North London.
But with Chelsea, the England left-back completed his set of medals by winning
the League Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League.
Along with adding another Community Shield success to the two he enjoyed in a
red shirt, Cole has also lifted the FA Cup a further four times and added
another Premier League title to his CV.
Having signed a one-year extension with the Blues last season, Cole will no
doubt be happy to buy an even bigger trophy cabinet now that Mourinho is
back at the helm.
SEALED WITH A KISS ... Ashley Cole lifted the Champions League trophy in 2012
5) Juan Mata
WHILE Mata is still one of the more recent arrivals at the Bridge, he
represents all that is good is about Chelsea’s future.
The skilful Spaniard arrived from Valencia for £23.5m in August 2011 and was
handed the club’s Player of the Year award after playing a major role in
guiding Roberto Di Matteo’s side to FA Cup and Champions League glory.
Mata was hardly able to catch his breath as international duty came in the
shape of Spain’s successful Euro 2012 campaign and he also represented his
country at London 2012.
The man likened to Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola also dazzled last season as
the Blues put a turbulent campaign behind them by winning the Europa League.
Despite rumours to the contrary, the 25-year-old will play a prominent role in
the second Mourinho era.
SILKY SPANIARD ... Juan Mata is Chelsea's magician
TOP FIVE FLOPS
1) Juan Sebastian Veron
CONSIDERING he had largley failed to live up to his superstar status during
a spell with Manchester United, more than a few eyebrows were raised when
Chelsea paid £15m for him in 2003.
Veron had wanted to stay and fight for his place at United but the talented
midfielder was considered surplus to requirements and accepted the chance to
continue his career in English football at Stamford Bridge.
He made a fine start by scoring the opening goal in a 2-1 victory over
Liverpool at Anfield before injuries hampered his progress and restricted
him to just 15 appearances in a blue shirt.
He was loaned to Inter Milan when Mourinho arrived and eventually left for
Estudiantes in his native Argentina.
FAILED TO DELIVER ... Juan Sebastian Veron did not live up to his price tag
2) Andriy Shevchenko
WHEN Shevchenko arrived in London in 2006 for around £30m, he was one of
the hottest properties in European football.
The Ukrainian had scored goals for fun at AC Milan and was widely expected to
continue his rich vein of form after being handed Chelsea's No7 shirt.
But it soon became clear Sheva was an Abramovich signing and a lack of goals
failed to convince both Mourinho and the Chelsea faithful that he was cut
out for life in England.
With his pace appearing to fade, the feared hitman became a shadow of his
former self before injuries curtailed his chances at the Bridge.
And as Drogba did the business up front, Shevchenko was eventually loaned back
to Milan when Phil Scolari deemed him surplus to requirements.
He briefly returned to Chelsea after the spell in Italy before rejoining
Dynamo Kiev in 2009.
MISFIRE ... Andriy Shevchenko failed to recapture his best form on a consistent basis
3) Shaun Wright-Phillips
IN FAIRNESS to Wright-Phillips, the fact he had little impact at Chelsea
was more down to a lack of chances than a shortage of talent.
At the time of his £21m move from Manchester City in 2005, it was rumoured the
Blues had splashed the cash simply to keep the winger from the clutches of
London rivals Arsenal.
Despite a lack of first-team football, SWP never complained and continued to
battle for regular action.
He briefly flourished under Avram Grant's management and was in the starting
XI for the League Cup final defeat to Tottenham in 2008.
Before the transfer window slammed shut in August that year, Chelsea decided
to cut their losses and sold him back to City for roughly half the amount
they had paid in the first place.
BIG PRICE TAG ... Shaun Wright-Phillips struggled to hold down a regular place
4) Adrian Mutu
MUTU burst onto the scene in August 2003 when Abramovich sanctioned a
£15.8m fee to capture him from Italian side Parma.
He made an instant impact with four goals in three matches and appeared to
have all the attributes required for a long and successful Chelsea career.
But Mourinho sensed something was not quite right and endured a stormy
relationship with the Romanian striker as a result.
In the end, it was revealed the Special One's suspicions had been correct all
along as Mutu failed a drugs test in September 2004.
He was promptly released by the club a month later after being handed a
seven-month ban and £20,000 fine by the FA.
SHAMED ... Adrian Mutu's Chelsea spell ended in disgrace
5) Mateja Kezman
AFTER a prolific spell in Holland with PSV Eindhoven, Kezman was expected
to make an instant impact under Mourinho's guidance after signing for £5.3m
in July 2004.
But the weight of expectation proved too much for the striker and he managed
just seven goals in 40 appearances during his one and only season with the
club.
The Chelsea faithful stuck by him throughout and there was no doubting his
workrate or commitment to the cause, but it came as little surprise when the
Blues let him join Atletico Madrid in June 2005 for the same fee they had
originally bought him for.
Despite failing to hit the heights in London, Kezman still looks back on his
time at the Bridge with fondness.
He said: "Chelsea was the best thing in my career. That was the climax of
my career, for sure. Living and playing in London was something that I will
never forget."
GOAL SHORTAGE ... Mateja Kezman failed to hit the heights at the Bridge
