The first player ever signed by the Blues ahead of the 1905/06 season was John ‘Jacky’ Tait Robertson from Rangers, not only to play as a half back but also to become the club’s first manager. As player-manager, Robertson led Chelsea to a third-place finish in the Second Division but resigned in the November of Chelsea’s second season, replaced by club secretary William Lewis who gained promotion to the First Division as caretaker manager.
After two managers in two years, Chelsea’s next appointment stayed in the dugout for slightly longer, almost 26 years in fact. David Calderhead was brought in from Lincoln City, clearly impressing the board the previous season after his side knocked the Blues out of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge after a first-round replay. Calderhead didn’t win a major trophy but he did lead Chelsea to their first FA Cup final in 1915 and was in charge for 966 games, a record that will surely never be beaten.
The managers that followed all had lengthy stays with the club. Leslie Knighton was in charge for almost six years, Billy Birrell for thirteen years, and Ted Drake who won Chelsea’s first league title in the 1954/55 season during his nine-year stint at the helm. Tommy Docherty replaced Drake during the 1961/62 season, winning Chelsea’s first League Cup in 1965. Dave Sexton landed Chelsea their first FA Cup in 1970 and had success in Europe when winning the Cup Winners’ Cup the following season.
As the Premier League era approached, Bobby Campbell crucially gained promotion back to the First Division in 89/90 by setting a second tier points record of 99. Ian Porterfield was manager for the first Premier League campaign but was replaced in the February by 1970 FA Cup winner David Webb. Glenn Hoddle, Ruud Gullit and Gianluca Vialli began Chelsea’s transformation all as player-managers, with Gullit ending the club’s 26-year trophy drought by winning the 1997 FA Cup. Vialli won the League Cup and European Cup Winners Cup in his first three months, adding the FA Cup two years later.
Claudio Ranieri’s term spanned two owners, Ken Bates and Roman Abramovic. The Russian billionaire brought many managers and a huge amount of success to Stamford Bridge. José Mourinho won Chelsea their first league title in 50 years in his first season. Across two spells ‘The Special One’ won three league titles, an FA Cup and three League Cups. In 2009/10, Carlo Ancelotti led Chelsea to their first, and to date only, League and FA Cup double. Roberto Di Matteo won Chelsea’s first Champion League title and an FA Cup as caretaker manager in 2012. Thomas Tuchel, Abramovic’s final appointment, won Chelsea’s second Champions League, following up with Super Cup and World Club Cup wins.
Full List of Chelsea FC Managers in Order
| Manager | From – To | League Titles | Domestic Cups | European/International Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enzo Maresca | Jun 2024 – Present | – | – | – |
| Mauricio Pochettino | Jul 2023 – May 2024 | – | – | – |
| Frank Lampard | Apr 2023 – Jun 2023 | – | – | – |
| Bruno Saltor* | Apr 2023 – Apr 2023 | – | – | – |
| Graham Potter | Sep 2022 – Apr 2023 | – | – | – |
| Thomas Tuchel | Jan 2021 – Sep 2022 | – | – | Champ’s League, Club World Cup, Super Cup |
| Frank Lampard | Jul 2019 – Jan 2021 | – | – | – |
| Maurizio Sarri | Jul 2018 – Jun 2019 | – | – | Europa League |
| Antonio Conte | Jul 2016 – Jul 2018 | Premier League | FA Cup | – |
| Guus Hiddink | Dec 2015 – Jun 2016 | – | – | – |
| Steve Holland* | Dec 2015 – Dec 2015 | – | – | – |
| José Mourinho | Jun 2013 – Dec 2015 | Premier League | League Cup | – |
| Rafael Benítez | Nov 2012 – May 2013 | – | – | Europa League |
| Roberto Di Matteo | Mar 2012 – Nov 2012 | – | FA Cup | Champions League |
| André Villas-Boas | Jun 2011 – Mar 2012 | – | – | – |
| Carlo Ancelotti | Jul 2009 – May 2011 | Premier League | FA Cup, Community Shield | – |
| Guus Hiddink | Feb 2009 – May 2009 | – | FA Cup | – |
| Ray Wilkins* | Feb 2009 – Feb 2009 | – | – | – |
| Luiz Felipe Scolari | Jul 2008 – Feb 2009 | – | – | – |
| Avram Grant | Sep 2007 – May 2008 | – | – | – |
| José Mourinho | Jun 2004 – Sep 2007 | Premier League x2 | FA Cup, League Cup x2, Comm’ Shield | – |
| Claudio Ranieri | Sep 2000 – May 2004 | – | – | – |
| Graham Rix* | Sep 2000 – Sep 2000 | – | – | – |
| Gianluca Vialli | Feb 1998 – Sep 2000 | – | FA Cup, League Cup, Charity Shield | Cup Winners’ Cup, Super Cup |
| Ruud Gullit | May 1996 – Feb 1998 | – | FA Cup | – |
| Glenn Hoddle | Jun 1993 – May 1996 | – | – | – |
| David Webb | Feb 1993 – May 1993 | – | – | – |
| Ian Porterfield | Jun 1991 – Feb 1993 | – | – | – |
| Bobby Campbell | Mar 1988 – May 1991 | Second Division | Full Members Cup | – |
| John Hollins | Jun 1985 – Mar 1988 | – | Full Members Cup | – |
| John Neal | May 1981 – Jun 1985 | Second Division | – | – |
| Bobby Gould* | Apr 1981 – May 1981 | – | – | – |
| Geoff Hurst | Sep 1979 – Apr 1981 | – | – | – |
| Danny Blanchflower | Dec 1978 – Sep 1979 | – | – | – |
| Ken Shellito | Jul 1977 – Dec 1978 | – | – | – |
| Eddie McCreadie | Apr 1975 – Jul 1977 | – | – | – |
| Ron Suart | Oct 1974 – Apr 1975 | – | – | – |
| Dave Sexton | Oct 1967 – Oct 1974 | – | FA Cup | Cup Winners’ Cup |
| Ron Suart* | Oct 1967 – Oct 1967 | – | – | – |
| Tommy Docherty | Oct 1961 – Oct 1967 | – | League Cup | – |
| Ted Drake | Jun 1952 – Sep 1961 | First Division | Charity Shield | – |
| Billy Birrell | Apr 1939 – May 1952 | – | – | – |
| Leslie Knighton | May 1933 – Apr 1939 | – | – | – |
| David Calderhead | Aug 1907 – May 1933 | – | – | – |
| William Lewis | Nov 1906 – Aug 1907 | – | – | – |
| John Tait Robertson | Aug 1905 – Nov 1906 | – | – | – |
* Denotes a caretaker manager.