Roman Abramovich's brutal message before Chelsea boss' sacking after owner's anger at sub

Roman Abramovich was the owner of Chelsea until 2022 (Image: AP)

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich threatened to sack him over a substitution he made during a Champions League quarter-final.

The Italian manager, who is currently at the helm of the Brazil national team, spent two seasons in West London under the club's ex-Russian owner.

Ancelotti 's inaugural season at Stamford Bridge was hailed as a massive success after he steered the Blues to triumph in both the FA Cup and Premier League.

However, his second season proved less successful, ending with his dismissal after finishing second in the top-flight without any silverware.

One trophy that Abramovich was reportedly desperate to secure at Chelsea was the Champions League. The Blues had several close calls, including a heart-wrenching penalty shootout defeat to Manchester United in the 2008 final.

Abramovich finally achieved his dream in 2012 when interim manager Robert Di Matteo guided Chelsea to an unlikely victory on penalties against Bayern Munich in the German team's home stadium.

Chelsea experienced a disappointing Champions League exit the previous season, losing to United in the quarter-finals under Ancelotti.

This came after they shattered the then-British transfer record to sign striker Fernando Torres from Liverpool for £50million during the January 2011 transfer window.

Ancelotti has now shed light on the circumstances surrounding the club's loss to Sir Alex Ferguson's team and the part Torres played in Abramovich's dissatisfaction with him.

Torres swapped Merseyside for London - but it didn't work out how he would've hoped (Image: CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images)

"Success or failure in Europe is how I would be measured by Abramovich, and the Champions League cost me my job," he revealed in his new autobiography, 'The Dream - Winning the Champions League'.

"The night before the second leg [against United], Abramovich warned the squad that if they didn't win there would be changes.

"He then told me that if we lost, I should not bother coming back in the next day.

"Torres was clearly suffering from a lack of confidence and felt the weight of his transfer fee hanging around his neck.

"In the dressing room, Abramovich made it very clear what this defeat meant. What happened next was inevitable.

"Torres was his personal decision and substituting him was a direct rebuke to the owner. Momentarily, I had forgotten that ultimately you can't beat the owner."