Ancelotti reveals half-time Torres substitution cost Chelsea boss his job amid Abramovich pressure

Carlo Ancelotti reveals in his new autobiography that a half-time substitution of Fernando Torres in a Champions League quarter-final provoked a direct rebuke from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and helped hasten his departure from the club. The veteran Italian manager, now in charge of Brazil, spent two seasons with Chelsea after joining in 2009. He says the episode underscored how Abramovich expected absolute success in Europe and was unafraid to wield his authority in moments of perceived underperformance.

Ancelotti recounts that his first year at Chelsea brought domestic trophies—an FA Cup and the Premier League crown—while his second season failed to deliver silverware, leading to his dismissal at the season’s end. He describes the pressure surrounding European results and the moment Abramovich made his expectations explicit: “The night before the second leg, Abramovich warned the squad that if they didn't win there would be changes.” He adds that Torres was “his personal decision and substituting him was a direct rebuke to the owner.”

The narrative then broadens into the dynamics of Abramovich’s ownership. Ancelotti says, “Success or failure in Europe is how I would be measured by Abramovich, and the Champions League cost me my job.” He describes a manager’s life under a hands-on owner who demanded constant explanations after defeats and who could pivot from praise to caution with little warning. He recalls the training-ground moment after a 3-1 defeat by Wigan, when Abramovich’s presence signaled heightened scrutiny: “This was when the first hint of a shadow fell across my time at the club.” The sense of being under a microscope was reinforced by his remark that he had to account for every tactical decision, even those involving a player as high-profile as Torres.

The book quotes a sharp exchange in which Abramovich’s frustration with the club’s direction after Mourinho’s departure is laid bare. Ancelotti says Abramovich didn’t just speak to him but to the entire squad, stressing that Mourinho’s recent win with Inter Milan complicated his own standing at Chelsea. He adds that Mourinho, viewed by Abramovich as a potential “spent force,” was expected to be kept in check, with Ancelotti cast as the antidote who would calm the dressing room after drama. “I was supposed to be the antidote to Mourinho — calm, measured and able to revive the squad after the drama,” he writes.

The memoir frames Ancelotti’s Chelsea tenure within a broader arc of Abramovich’s era at the club, including the owner’s relentless pursuit of European glory and his willingness to replace managers who failed to deliver. Ancelotti acknowledges that Mourinho’s exit and Inter’s aggregate victory created a complicated dynamic, but argues his own team should have had more space to grow under stable leadership. He reflects that, despite a strong start, the pressure to win the Champions League quickly and consistently influenced decision-making at the highest level and shaped the path to his departure.

Chelsea’s post-Ancelotti history quickly followed with success on the pitch: a year after his departure, the club captured the Champions League title, beating Bayern Munich on penalties to lift Europe’s top prize. The club’s ownership story, meanwhile, moved into a new era after Abramovich sold Chelsea to Todd Boehly and Clearlake in 2022 for about £2.5 billion. The sale proceeds have been subject to international and domestic processes, with UK officials saying the funds were frozen in a UK bank account while a new independent foundation was established to distribute the money to humanitarian causes in Ukraine. The government has said it would work to ensure the proceeds reach Ukrainians as quickly as possible.

Ancelotti remains one of football’s most respected coaches, with a long career that has included stints at AC Milan, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, and he currently leads the Brazil national team. The revelations in The Dream — Winning the Champions League add another layer to the debate over ownership, pressure, and the human cost of chasing European glory in modern football.