Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has admitted for the first time he could be sacked. Villas-Boas has repeatedly insisted he retains the full backing of billionaire owner Roman Abramovich but has now confessed to the first seeds of doubt about whether he would keep his job.

"We are now in the exact same moment as last year," Villas-Boas said. "It is an exact copy.

"The pattern of behaviour of the owner has led to a (manager's) downfall in similar situations or even 'better' situations.

"What will be the reaction? It will be one of the two, a continuation of the project and full support or just the cultural pattern that has happened before. We don't know."