Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino have parted ways in a somewhat surprising turn of events, given how the club finished the season. The Argentine coach guided the Blues to a sixth-place finish, meaning they’ll play UEFA Europa League football next season. He oversaw 27 wins in 51 games and even gifted the Stamford Bridge faithful a day out at Wembley, albeit suffering a 1-0 (a.e.t.) loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has explained the decision and suggested Pochettino and the higher-ups weren’t singing from the same hymn sheet. He posted on X/Twitter:
“Chelsea and Pochettino decided to part ways. They were not on the same page in terms of future projects, summer transfer window, involvement of the manager in the summer signings, and also, the owners of Chelsea were not convinced about going on with Mauricio Pochettino as the manager.”
The Blues’ recruitment has been scrutinized since Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali became co-owners in May 2022. They’ve spent over £1 billion on new signings, breaking the British transfer record twice. This has resulted in a youthful squad whom Pochettino was tasked with transforming into credible top-four challengers.
There is growing speculation over several Chelsea players’ futures, particularly Conor Gallagher who has a year left on his contract. Pochettino is thought to have pushed for the England international to remain at Stamford Bridge but the hierarchy are prepared to cash in on the versatile midfielder.
Pochettino admitted earlier this year that he wasn’t involved in the decision regarding Gallagher’s future. He said (via 90min):
“I am the coach, that needs to be my place. I cannot be involved in this. It’s only between the club and Conor that can make the deal…I know my place… My job is to coach the team and to pick the decisions for tomorrow, for the starting XI and squad, and try to improve the players and try to win games. That is my job.”
Pochettino arrived at Chelsea in July 2023, signing a two-year contract with the option of a further year. He lasted a year with the Blues seemingly wanting to head in a different direction. He expected to target a youthful coach like Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna and former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi being linked.
Mauricio Pochettino bids farewell to Chelsea and insists they are in a strong position
Mauricio Pochettino gave a humble statement in response to his departure by highlighting how the team are better placed to challenge both domestically and in Europe. He stated (via Romano on X):
“Thank you to Chelsea ownership group and Sporting Directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club’s history. The Club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come”.
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager arrived with the West Londoners in turmoil after a disastrous 2022-23 campaign. They finished 12th in the Premier League, with Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter being sacked during that season. Pochettino’s arrival received mixed responses from fans due to his past allegiance with the Lilywhites.
Pochettino looked to have turned a corner recently with the Blues fanbase amid their Europa League qualification. Many expected him to be given a summer transfer window to continue working with the new owners but that’s not the case.
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