John Terry revealed how ex-Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas lost the trust of senior stars after allowing youth players in first-class on a flight.
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AVB took charge of Chelsea in 2011Wanted to show 'who's the boss' on day oneSenior players put their foot downWHAT HAPPENED?
The former Chelsea skipper recounted a contentious decision made by Villas-Boas regarding seating arrangements on a long-haul flight ahead of the Blues' pre-season tour of Asia in 2011. Villas-Boas wanted to set his own rules and show 'who's the boss' to senior players on day one, which backfired magnificently.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT TERRY SAID
Speaking to Simon Jordan, Terry revealed: "When AVB came in, we went to Hong Kong I think when he was first manager. We got on the plane and I'm sitting on economy on a 13-hour flight. And we've got Josh McEachran, Nathaniel Chalobah, a couple of other young players, all in first class.
"And this was part of AVB going: 'No player is bigger than me, everyone's the same.' It turns out Lamps [Frank Lampard] is flying out first class and I'm flying back first class, so if you fly out at home in first, you come back in economy. But basically it wasn't good enough, so I'm going: 'No no, we're not going anywhere until these young players go back in economy, and the first team players that have built this club to where we are today go back in first'.
"And we're on the plane, people are up and down, AVB comes up: 'What's the problem?', I'm going: 'Well we're not going anywhere until the young players move.' And to be fair to the young players, they're going: 'Listen JT, this is really uncomfortable, we will go back.' I'm going: 'No no, it's not your decision, he [Villas-Boas] has to own it', so this is one of his first things in front of everyone. In the end, it spins, so all first-team players fly first, and younger players go back in economy, that's how it should be. These younger players are striving to be where we've got, and he tried to make a statement on day one and he failed instantly. Because I promise you, the plane wasn't going, and if it was going, it would have gone without myself, Frank and Didier [Drogba]."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The standoff on the plane encapsulated the broader challenges faced by Villas-Boas during his brief tenure at Chelsea. Despite his efforts to implement a new vision and philosophy, the manager struggled to win over the dressing room, with his confrontational approach exacerbating tensions within the squad.
Ultimately, Villas-Boas' inability to manage the delicate dynamics within the Chelsea squad contributed to his premature departure from the club. After just eight months in charge, he was relieved of his duties following a string of disappointing results, having won just 20 of his 40 matches including 10 defeats, and mounting discontent among players and fans alike.
DID YOU KNOW?
His successor, Roberto Di Matteo, enjoyed immediate success, guiding Chelsea to historic triumphs in the Champions League and FA Cup within months of assuming the managerial reins. Di Matteo's more inclusive and pragmatic approach stood in stark contrast to Villas-Boas' divisive leadership style. However, Di Matteo was also axed within the first few months of the 2012-13 season after a disastrous start to the league campaign.