Let's face it, with Chelsea, one year deals are the way to go. For a businessman like Abramovich it is a wonder it has taken him this long to realise it.
Three years ago when Luiz Scolari was sacked after just seven months in charge, it left Chelsea with a bill in the region of £10-15 million to pay out in compensation and lost earnings.
When Carlo Ancelotti was dismissed in 2011, accounts showed it cost £28 million to pay him and his coaching staff out of their contracts.
The amount paid out to Andre Villas-Boas was reported to be up to £11 million. Not bad for a few months work.
Abramovich may view it as a small change, and sacking AVB was a price worth paying for Chelsea to go on and win the Champions League supporters will agree.
Clearly though these kinds of payout are unsustainable. Especially at a time when Chelsea's finances are going to come under closer scrutiny than ever with the potential advent of UEFA's Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
Bringing in Roberto di Matteo on board permanently may not sound so permanent on a one-year deal, but it is up to him to to prove he deserves longer.
Abramovich knows he would regret making Di Matteo boss on a long-term deal if it all went wrong, and be left facing another payout.
The owner may be gambling on trying to secure Pep Guardiola in a year's time, when he has had a year's rest from the game, and it is hard to believe discussions have not taken place to that effect.
Guardiola had a one-year rolling contract at Barcelona, which in turn allowed him to walk away at any time, and it is equally likely he would insist on similar terms at Chelsea if he decided to go for it.
Is Di Matteo just a stop gap until somebody bigger becomes available? It seems so, and it is up to the caretaker Champions League winner to continue to prove his boss wrong.
Di Matteo will be expected to mount a title challenge this season, anything less will be a failure. A top three finish minimum will be expected, plus silverware.
Right now with an improved squad and money at his disposal, there is every chance Di Matteo can do that. Continue to win trophies and just like now, he will be hard to mount an argument against.
If he doesn't, he will be cheap to dismiss, as and we know, Roman Abramovich won't think twice about uttering the words 'You're Fired' if he feels they are necessary.
Is a one year deal the right move financially? What about on the pitch?
image: © Free-ers
Dan Coombs
@hitcdancoombsGoogle+more stories from Dan Coombs
Dan Coombs is a writer who is keen to embrace the internet revolution. He first started writing for us in June 2011 and commenced his new role as Sports Editor in February 2012.
As a trained journalist he has met famous faces from Mr T to Boris Johnson. He once featured in an England World Cup music video too, but it did not make the charts.
He grew up wanting to be a Formula 1 driver, but it looks like this dream has passed him by. Instead, he hopes you enjoy reading his writing on our site, as we seek to debate the day's sporting hot topics.
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