Roman Abramovich could have won even more as Chelsea owner if he spared the axe and sought managerial stability as we prepare for the departure of Antonio Conte

It was on a Manchester United team plane returning from Lisbon in the early hours of September 20 2007 that news broke of Jose Mourinho’s first departure from Chelsea.

Such was the sense of disbelief among the United party that manager Sir Alex Ferguson took the unusual step of asking for confirmation from the media sitting at the back of the aircraft.

‘I can’t believe that could happen,’ said Ferguson at the time.

To recap, Mourinho had won two cups the previous year at Chelsea and back-to-back Premier League titles the two seasons before that.