One in the myriad of managers who took charge at Chelsea between Jose Mourinho's first departure and second arrival, Luiz Felipe Scolari's oversaw only 36 games in his 8 month period with the club.
Although he believed everything was going to plan with the Blues, the Brazilian targeted the attitude of one player particularly as being a decisive factor in his quick departure.
As reported on ESPN, Scolari documented the club's situation upon leaving:
I left there and our team was third in the league, three or four points behind the top. Qualified for the semifinals of the [FA] Cup and round of 16 or quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Upset that he had to leave when he did, it was his temerity in thinking that Nicolas Anelka would accepted an adapted role for the benefit of the team that instigated trouble for Scolari at Stamford Bridge:
I had Anelka playing as centre-forward. Top scorer in the league. The players return, I make a meeting, and in the meeting I say: 'Look, now that the players have all returned, Drogba is back after two months, we will try to work a situation involving the two strikers playing one by the side, one in the centre, changing positions.
Then Anelka, the league's top scorer, who had been a reserve all the time but had started [during Drogba's absence] said: 'I do not play on the wing.' Well, that's when I said: 'You don't play on the wing, you are surplus, it's over. I'm not going to stay here arguing with you guys. I'm trying to come to an understanding and you are unwilling.
While Scolari doesn't suggest why this moment exactly sealed his fate, he was in no doubt that this exchange ignited a "series of other things".
Coming excruciatingly close to qualifying for successive Champions League's final under Scolari's temporary replacement, Guus Hiddink, perhaps the Brazilian is correct in lamenting the nature of his departure from his last top job in European football.
