£2,500 for being late, £1,000 if your phone rings and £5,000 for taking your own car home from a match! Will Frank Lampard rule the law at Chelsea AGAIN with his brutal fines?
- Frank Lampard has returned as Chelsea manager on an interim basis
- It comes after Graham Potter was sacked as the club languished in 11th
- Lampard introduced a brutal series of player fines in his first spell in charge
Returning Chelsea boss Frank Lampard imposed a series of punitive fines in his first spell in charge, with players being charged up to £20,000 for being late.
Lampard has rejoined the club as interim manager following the sacking of Graham Potter. The new boss took over just two years after his resignation.
He led the side to fourth in his first spell in charge and took them to an FA Cup final, but struggled to get the best out of big players like Timo Werner.
The 44-year-old was notoriously tough on his players before leaving the club in 2021, and a list of 12 fines he issued has once again been widely shared online following his reappointment.
They include £2,500 for being late on a match day, £1,000 for a phone ringing during a team meal and £20,000 for missing the start of practice.
Frank Lampard has returned to Chelsea as interim manager until the end of the season
In his previous stint in charge, he introduced a rigorous series of player fines
It is not yet clear whether Lampard will take such extreme measures following his return to the club on Thursday, but the players seemed relaxed in his presence during his first training session with Cobham.
There were smiles from those who will know him well, such as Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic, while Enzo Fernandez gave little away and Mykhailo Mudryk talked deeply with the new boss.
For Lampard, the decision to return to the club where he has enjoyed many of his successes in football seemed an easy one.
Speaking to the media shortly after Chelsea officially confirmed his return, he said: “[It was] a surprise in terms of you never know what decision the club is going to make.
The returning boss admitted to being ‘surprised’ he was asked back by the club
Most players looked relaxed during Lampard’s first training session, but Enzo Fernandez (left) gave little away
“But it was an easy decision for me, this is my club. I am also a very practical person.
“Since I left Chelsea I’ve been on a different path, but I’ll come back when I’m called upon and I’ll come back with the belief that I can help until the end of the season.
“I am very happy to have the opportunity and I am grateful. I have a good understanding of the squad, the training ground, the stadium and the fans and I will do my best.’
The Blues then face Wolves on Saturday before Lampard gets a real test next Wednesday when they take on Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.