Portsmouth gaffer Avram Grant used his pay-out to buy that cool skull chair.

If you ever wanted an idea of just how outrageously extravagant Chelsea FC are in their search for glory you need only look at their recent managerial pay-outs.

The Blues’ last three managers, Mourinho, Skeletor, Grant, and Big Phil Scolari cost the club a whopping 35.7 million pounds in severance pay. Seen another way that’s 18 Laguna beach water front houses or 1,276 new BMW X5’s. Meanwhile at Bolton, Gary Megson probably got a packet of wotsits and a broken yoyo.

Jose Mourinho and club owner Roman Abramovich fell out in 2007, and after the Special One’s successor, Avram Grant, was also canned (following John Terry’s slipped penalty miss in the Champions League final) the Russian had to shell out 23.1 million smackers or seen another way; 6 scud missile assaults on Castle Grayskull.

Big Phil was next and giving him and his mates the boot cost the Russian Oligarch 12.6 million. Current boss, Carlo Ancelotti yesterday suggested that he won’t be as expensive to get rid of (he will be sacked at some point, mark it), the Italian had a dig at the large parting payoffs…

“Maybe I have a contract with less money in respect to the last few coaches!” – Ancelotti.

The details of the great coach cash giveaway came on the same day Abramovich revealed that he’s wiped the debt he was owed from the slate by converting it into equity. Must be nice, 710 million quid gone in a flash. Of course, if FIFA didn’t have new rules kicking in 2 years from now demanding clubs ‘live within their means’, he would have left things as they were.

A day in the life of Chelsea ladies and gents, 745.7 million pounds out the door.