Regardless of how rich you are, the idea of paying €20m to fire someone from their job cannot be an easy decision to make.
That’s the dilemma Roman Abramovich currently faces at Chelsea with Antonio Conte, needing him out of a job in order to appoint Maurizio Sarri ahead of the new season.
However, with the Italian manager expected to get paid €11m (post tax) should he be sacked, it’s understandable to see the Russian oligarch stalling, probably trying to find a way to get that reduced through a loophole somewhere.
Gazzetta dello Sport believe the Chelsea owner has, for now, opted for the ‘standstill’, but is trying to get things moving along by sending an ‘indirect message’ explaining the Diego Costa situation was the ‘cause for damages’ behind his decision to try and remove Conte from his position.
This, they say, proves the Premier League side are trying to find a settlement with their current manager rather than having to pay the clause outright.
Unfortunately for Abramovich, the clock is ticking, with many clubs, including his, expected to kick off their preseason training in the near future without any stars currently recovering from or still playing in the World Cup.
If Chelsea could do that with Maurizio Sarri, that would make things a lot easier going forward.
