Former CSKA Moscow and Russia coach Leonid Slutsky’s role at Chelsea revealed

Ever since attending Chelsea’s match against Leicester City in the middle of January, former CSKA Moscow and Russian national team head coach Leonid Slutsky has been subject to a few intriguing rumors regarding his exact role with the Blues.

Some speculated that he would be an analyst, but given his personal friendship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, there was even idle chatter that it could be something more sinister, like a sort of shadow manager role a la Avram Grant in the days of yore.

But that part always sounded just a bit too fanciful for actual reality. Sure enough, more recent reports are eminently more believable. According to the Daily Mail, for example, and a few others, Chelsea are simply helping the 45-year-old “friend of the club” find a new job. He had resigned from CSKA in December.

Supporting that claim was Slutsky getting spotted at not only Chelsea games, but also at this weekend’s Fulham vs. Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup tie (sitting next to a similarly out of work Alan Pardew). It’s all part of his education in English football, as the Mail put it.

None of that actually rules out a future gig at Chelsea of course, but for now, he is not employed by the club and it would appear that this is all very harmless and safe and nice.