Chelsea have officially appointed former Brighton boss Graham Potter as their new head coach following the dismissal of Thomas Tuchel on Tuesday morning.
The club's board - led by chairman Todd Boehly - axed Tuchel after the Blues' disappointing start to the season, which has seen them lose three games in little over a month.
Having invested a record £253 million during the recently-closed summer transfer window, the Chelsea hierarchy acted swiftly to make a change, sparing no expense to bring in the highly-regarded Potter following the west London side's embarrassing 1-0 Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb earlier this week.
How much compensation did Chelsea pay Brighton for Graham Potter?
Per a tweet from Simon Storey of BBC Sport, the Blues have forked out a staggering £21m in compensation to the Seagulls for Potter and his backroom staff, namely his assistant Billy Reid, first-team coaches Bjorn Hamberg and Bruno, goalkeeping coach Ben Roberts and assistant head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay.
Chelsea certainly appear confident that Potter is the right man to revive their fortunes, given that they have handed Potter a five-year deal.
The total cost, however, of Chelsea's decision to change managers is far greater than the £21m paid to Brighton.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 27: Graham Potter, Manager of Brighton & Hove Albion celebrates following the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Leeds United at American Express Community Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Tuchel paid £13m in compensation following Chelsea dismissal
Former boss Tuchel's Chelsea contract had been due to expire in 2024 after he signed an extension last summer.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, Tuchel is set to receive a full year's salary in compensation from the club following his sacking - believed to amount to £13m.
In addition, a further £2m in severance payments are expected to be made to the German's backroom team.
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 14: Todd Boehly, Owner of Chelsea FC looks on prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on August 14, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Tuchel's £13m individual payout sees him become the sixth Chelsea manager in the last 15 years to receive compensation in of more than £10m after being sacked by the Blues.
Below, using figures sourced by The Sun, we've taken a look at the 10 biggest managerial pay-offs ever.
What are the most expensive sackings in football history?
10. Andre Villas-Boas | Chelsea | £12m | 2012
9. Mauricio Pochettino | Tottenham | £12.5m | 2019
8. Thomas Tuchel | Chelsea | £13m | 2022
7. Fabio Capello | Russia | £13.4m | 2015
6. Luis Felipe Scolari | Chelsea | £13.6m | 2009
5. Nuno Espirito Santo | Tottenham | £14m | 2021
4. Lauren Blanc | Paris Saint-Germain | £17m | 2016
3. Jose Mourinho | Chelsea | £18m | 2007
2. Jose Mourinho | Manchester United | £19.6m | 2018
1. Antonio Conte | Chelsea | £26.2m | 2018
Boehly continuing Roman Abramovich's ruthless legacy of sackings at Chelsea
Per a 2021 article from the Daily Mail, former Chelsea owner Abramovich spent a staggering £112.5m on compensation for axed managers during his near-two decades at Stamford Bridge.
American businessman Boehly, who took control of the club in late May, appears to share his predecessor's ruthless streak, dispensing with Tuchel's services after just 100 days as chairman.
Across London, Tottenham have spent more than £26m on severance payments in the last three seasons after both Pochettino and Nuno were relieved of their duties.
Capello is the only international manager to feature in the top 10. The Russian FA paid up his contract after the nation failed to win a single game at the 2014 World Cup.
CURITIBA, BRAZIL - JUNE 26: Head coach Fabio Capello of Russia speaks to officials after a 1-1 draw during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Algeria and Russia at Arena da Baixada on June 26, 2014 in Curitiba, Brazil. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Chelsea paid Conte a massive £26.2m when Abramovich showed him the door in 2018, but Mourinho is the top overall beneficiary on the list.
The ever-controversial Portuguese coach picked up a combined figure of £37.6m after his sackings by Chelsea (in 2007) and Man Utd (in 2018).
History has shown that managing at Stamford Bridge is far from the most secure job in football. You'd probably get long odds right now on Potter seeing out the whole of his new five-year deal.
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Potter confirmed as Chelsea boss | Reaction via The Football Terrace