Many people consider Andre Villas-Boas to be among the worst Chelsea managers during the Roman Abramovich era. After prospering at FC Porto like his compatriot and previous manager, Villas-Boas, who was brought to Stamford Bridge after Carlo Ancelotti’s cruel dismissal, had a reputation as a “mini Mourinho.”
But it soon became clear that Villas-Boas was unable to perform the same magic as the ‘Special One’ in west London, and he was fired after only nine months in office.
It’s understandable that Chelsea supporters don’t have many happy memories of Villas-Boas’ tenure given that the Blues were in fifth place in the Premier League and on the verge of losing the Champions League at the time of his dismissal. Surprisingly, though, a lot of good came out of what most fans would consider to be one of the worst times that Abramovich was in the boardroom.
The reason for this is that, even after all these years, Chelsea’s hiring under Villas-Boas was really impressive. Although it seems improbable that the Blues’ operations could have been so striking during what was essentially a nine-month decline, Villas-Boas’ tenure in west London was filled with exceptional acquisitions.
At least, if not exceptional when they first arrived, they were unquestionably exceptional when examined in retrospect. And even while we can’t be certain of how much of a personal part Villas-Boas played in the deals, the fact that they all happened under his direction doesn’t lessen their interest.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, you should know what we’re talking about, so be sure to look at every significant acquisition Chelsea made under Villas-Boas down below.
Thibaut Courtois
Current club: Real Madrid
What a great way to start the list. The powerful Belgian has made a name for himself as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation in addition to winning the FA Cup, League Cup, and two Premier League championships with Chelsea later on.
With two Champions League wins, the Yashin Trophy, a World Cup Golden Glove medal, three La Liga titles, and a top 10 finish in the 2022 Ballon d’Or, Courtois left Stamford Bridge for Real Madrid in 2018. When he hangs up his gloves, Courtois, who is currently in his 30s, will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the best goalkeepers in football history.
Romeu Oriol
Barcelona is the current club.
Romeu was neither a brilliant nor a horrible purchase. He may not have had much of an impact at Chelsea in his 33 appearances, but he did go on to become a Premier League mainstay at Southampton for seven years.
Romeu returned to Barcelona, the club where his career started, after making an impression at Girona. The seasoned midfield player agreed to a three-year deal with the Catalan powerhouses. He returned to Girona on loan for the 2024–25 campaign.
Lukaku Romelu
Presently, Napoli is the club
Even though Lukaku’s return to Chelsea was a disaster, the fact is that the Blues were the front-runners to recruit one of the world’s most promising young strikers in 2012.
Lukaku is without a doubt one of the best goal scorers of the past ten years, having scored over 100 goals in the Premier League, 89 goals for Belgium, and hero status at Inter Milan and now Napoli after leading both teams to Serie A triumph. For whatever reason, he never succeeded in west London, despite his desire to become a Chelsea icon.
Currently, Juan Mata plays for the Western Sydney Wanderers.
Mata won Chelsea’s Player of the Year title in each of his full seasons at the club, making him an immediate success that Blues supporters still remember with nostalgia. Before joining Manchester United for a then-club record cost of £37.1 million, he played 135 games and scored 33 goals. Before joining Galatasaray, he played with the Red Devils for eight years.
The well adored Spaniard, who is currently 37 years old, plays for the Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia. Mata probably would have stayed at Stamford Bridge for a lot longer if Jose Mourinho hadn’t returned to Chelsea in 2013.
Davila Ulises
Club as of right now: Unattached
Unfortunately, Davila, who was only 20 when he joined the Blues, never made a senior appearance, proving that not all of Villas-Boas’ acquisitions could be pure hits. Since leaving Chelsea in 2015, the attacking midfielder has played for many clubs worldwide.
He has played for Santos Lugana in Mexico, Delhi Dynamos (now Odisha Football Club) in India, and Wellington Pheonix in New Zealand. At 34, he most recently played for Macarthur FC, an Australian team, however he is currently a free agent.
Current club: Retired Raul Meireles
With Meireles coming off of winning PFA Fans’ Player of the Year at Liverpool and making 45 appearances in his lone full season for Chelsea, including a historic goal in the Champions League quarterfinals, this is an underappreciated purchase. In his one and only season with the Blues, he won the FA Cup and the Champions League.
Before retiring in 2016, the Portuguese midfielder played for Fenerbahce for four years.
Hutchinson, Sam
AFC Wimbledon is the current club.
Before leaving in 2014, Hutchinson made two more professional appearances for his boyhood club after resigning from an early retirement due to injury.
The adaptable defender, who is currently in his mid-30s, has played for Reading, Sheffield Wednesday, Vitesse, Nottingham Forest, and Pafos.
Omeruo Kenneth
CFR Cluj is the current club.
Omeruo has had a remarkable career despite never having worn the renowned blue shirt in a first-team game. After periods with Leganes and Kasimpasa, the Nigerian defender joined CFR Cluj of Romania in 2025.
Since his debut in 2013, he has been a vital member of his nation’s team. Omeruo, who as of this writing has 69 Super Eagles caps, was a member of the team that won the Africa Cup of Nations the year he made his debut.
Cahill, Gary
Present club: retired
Not to be undervalued is another signing. Cahill moved from Bolton Wanderers to Chelsea in 2012 for a reported £7 million. After nearly 300 matches and eight major awards, including the Champions League, the English defender concluded his Chelsea career seven years later as captain.
Before retiring in 2022, he had stints at Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.
Piazon, Lucas
Present club: AVS
Despite only ever playing three games for Chelsea and missing a penalty in his one Premier League appearance, Piazon had an odd swing and a miss, spending an incredible nine years on the team’s books.
After playing for Braga, the 31-year-old Piazon currently plays for AVS in Portugal. Additionally, he played on loan at Botafogo of Brazil for a while.
Bamford, Patrick
Leeds United is the current club.
You may ignore Bamford all you want, but the truth is that he developed into a deadly striker who earned an England cap and had a season with 17 goals in the Premier League.
Bamford will have the chance to demonstrate that he is still capable of succeeding at the top level of English football as he prepares to start his seventh season at Leeds United.
De Bruyne, Kevin
Presently, Napoli is the club
Does this one even require an explanation? When you consider how big of a Premier League icon De Bruyne has become, this signing looks painful, even though we all know the story of how things never worked out for him at the Bridge.
With 117 Premier League assists, six English league titles, and a podium place in the Ballon d’Or, De Bruyne is a true legend of our time and a two-time PFA Players’ Player of the Year winner.
An Outstanding List of Signings The list of players that Villas-Boas has signed is outstanding.
Ladies and gentlemen, given that all of those deals occurred during what was perhaps the busiest nine months of the Abramovich era, that is a rather impressive list. Regardless matter how much the Portuguese directly contributed to it, it was evident that everything was going well in terms of recruitment despite all the issues and repercussions that marred Villas-Boas’ tenure at Stamford Bridge.
Although players like Courtois, Lukaku, and De Bruyne may not have been spectacular acquisitions in the immediate term, their subsequent performances made their initial low-cost moves to Chelsea seem like coups. If anything, Villas-Boas’ acquisitions as Chelsea’s manager demonstrate that the team may occasionally be as adept at letting go of its existing talent as it is at seeing it in the first place.
In a parallel universe, Villas-Boas would undoubtedly have a statue outside the Bridge after leading a Chelsea team that included De Bruyne and Lukaku to innumerable championships.
What Andre Villas-Boas is Doing Now
He’s no longer working as a manager
The last time Villas-Boas managed was with Marseille in 2021. Following his departure from the French club, he became active in rally driving.
According to The Sun, Villas-Boas stated after competing in the 2022 WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal: “It’s one of those things you dream of as a youngster. Since I was a young lad, I have watched Formula One and rallies.
“We do it for our causes for good, so it’s a pretty wonderful chance. Telling you the truth is really tough. I had no idea it was so strong. However, we performed well and ended on a positive note, and I was thrilled with the jump because I was really afraid.”
Villas-Boas was named president of FC Porto, the team where he first gained recognition, in 2024. We probably won’t see him in a dugout again anytime soon, but you never know.
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