His phone will not be the first over the last 15 years to flash up with several increasingly urgent messages from “Roman Abramovich (work mobile)”. One wonders what sort of language is used in those stern missiles of feedback - any of the last eleven Chelsea managers since the first iPhone was released might be able to enlighten us - but, in any case, Maurizio Sarri appears to be heading down a well-trodden path.

There is an established school of thought that instability is simply Chelsea's thing, substantially backed up by 16 cup finals in as many years, to go with the 15 pieces of major silverware. It was unlikely to have been Abramovich’s vision as his helicopter flew over London on his club-hunting mission back in 2003, but he has overseen one of the most fruitful exercises in short-termism that football has ever seen.

But, by 2019, something rather unexpected has befallen Chelsea: quite simply, their rivals have all bucked their ideas up. Manchester City have taken idea bucking-up to a whole new level; Jurgen Klopp has magically, furiously and gleefully bucked Liverpool’s ideas up; Mauricio Pochettino is due to complete the bucking-up of Tottenham’s ideas any month now; and the idea-based up-buckage at Old Trafford has gathered instant momentum under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.