Former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has admitted his surprise that Roman Abramovich sacked the club's "most successful" and "dearest" coach in Jose Mourinho, and insisted the decision shows the Russian billionaire owner hasn't changed his ways.
Abramovich and the Chelsea hierarchy decided to relieve Mourinho of his duties in December following the club's worst start to a season since the 1978-79 campaign, just six months after the Portuguese tactician led the Blues to the Premier League title.
Before he did that, though, Abramovich publicly backed Mourinho in October - the first time he has shown support for a struggling coach at Chelsea in such a manner - although subsequent results led the Blues owner to replace Mourinho with interim manager Guus Hiddink.
Villas-Boas - who was himself sacked by Chelsea after less than a year in charge of the club in 2012 - has now spoken out over Mourinho's departure from the team, saying he found it "incredible" Abramovich got rid of the best manager his club have ever had.
Speaking to beIN Sports, he said: "The only thing that has been quite incredible to see is that it was applied to everybody. It was applied for their dearest coach and their most successful coach.
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"So in the end, we have seen nothing different. Roman has sacked basically every coach he had and is no different - it happened even to the best.
"The same criteria he applied to me, to Rafa Benitez and for all the other coaches, he has applied to Jose as well. And it's [now] a new chapter."
