Frank Isola: Roman Abramovich’s dictatorial style cost him Pep Guardiola

Goal :    The final whistle was accompanied by a loud chorus of boos at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, a sound all too familiar to Rafael Benitez, who could use a friend and a victory in the worst way.

Chelsea blew a two goal halftime lead at home to Southampton and came away with a disappointing 2-2 draw just hours after the news broke that Pep Guardiola, Roman Abramovich’s first choice to manage his club, elected to take less money and fewer headaches and signed a three year contract with Bayern Munich.

Guardiola is the big winner of course since the former Barcelona manager had his pick of jobs with Chelsea and perhaps Manchester City at the top of the list. A day earlier, the Premier League was buzzing after Guardiola was quoted as saying that his goal is to one day manage in Europe’s top league which only fueled speculation that Abramovich, Chelsea’s free spending and desperately impatient Russian owner, was about to get his man.