Chelsea legend Didier Drogba reveals he quizzed Roman Abramovich over manager sackings

Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has revealed he once questioned the club's owner Roman Abramovich about his tendency to sack managers, to which the Russian replied: "Each time I have done it, we have got results."

Since taking control of the Blues in 2003, Abramovich has transformed the club into regular title contenders and Champions League mainstays. The oligarch has been ruthless in his quest to turn Chelsea into one of the elite clubs, sacking no fewer than six managers during his 13-year reign, including Jose Mourinho, who felt Abramovich's wrath twice.

Drogba, who played under a smorgasbord of bosses during his time at Chelsea, was curious as to why Abramovich felt the need to do away with the men he once saw as the best to take charge of his team, and was told by the 51-year-old that the constant hiring-and-firing delivers the success he is desperate to enjoy in the capital.

"I asked him [Abramovich]: 'We have had how many managers in how many seasons?' Drogba told RMC Sport, relayed by The Evening Standard. "He replied: 'But Didier, each time I have done it, we have got results.'

"Everyone says Chelsea isn't very stable, but in modern-day football, there is no coach who lasts more than three or four years at a club.

"When the managers come in they have carte blanche at the club. They do what they want. Having said that, I don't see the relationship with the chairman on a daily basis. But you can't get into a conflict with your boss. If that's the case, it's that you want to leave."

Abramovich may have to find himself a new manager in the coming months, with doubts over the future of current Chelsea boss Antonio Conte. The Italian led the Blues to the Premier League title in slick fashion last season but murmurs of discontent have never truly subsided, with recent reports claiming that Paris Saint-Germain are considering a move for Conte at the end of the season if Unai Emery fails to guide the club to at least the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Replacing Conte may be a priority for Abramovich soon, but his immediate concern will be on finding a successor to Michael Emenalo, who unexpectedly resigned from his role as technical director last week.

Emenalo oversaw Chelsea's scouting network and academy and was responsible for bringing the likes of Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard to Stamford Bridge. It is not known who will replace the Nigerian, with Abramovich's second-in-command Marina Granovskaia taking on his responsibilities for the time being.