Mauricio Pochettino, a former manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, was hired as the head coach of Chelsea on Monday. The club has charged Pochettino with turning around their fortunes following a disappointing season.
After a turbulent season in which three different managers, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Frank Lampard all had stints in command of the London club, Chelsea concluded the Premier League season on Sunday in 12th place.
Pochettino, an Argentine who has signed a deal for two years with the option of a further year, will begin his duties on July 1st.
Last year, when Chelsea was looking for a permanent successor for Tuchel after he was fired, he was one of the candidates being considered for the post. However, the club ultimately decided to hire Potter from Brighton & Hove Albion instead.
Pochettino, who is 51 years old, will take over as the permanent manager of Chelsea after the club was sold in 2022 to a group led by LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and supported by Clearlake Capital, a private equity firm. This would make Pochettino the third permanent manager for Chelsea since the club was sold.
“Mauricio is a coach of world-class caliber who has an impressive body of work. In a statement, Chelsea’s owners Boehly, Behdad Eghbali, Jose E. Feliciano, Mark Walter, and Hansjorg Wyss expressed their excitement about the player joining the club. “We are all looking forward to having him on board,” the owners added.
Boehly and Eghbali stated at the time of Lampard’s employment that the ex-Chelsea midfielder was brought in on an interim basis so the club could carry out a “thorough and exhaustive process” to find a permanent manager. Lampard was appointed to the position on an interim basis.
Lampard, who took over at Stamford Bridge last month when Potter was fired, was responsible for eight of Chelsea’s eleven losses during his tenure as manager. As a result of their elimination in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, Chelsea will not compete in European competition for the upcoming season.
Despite the fact that their new American owners spent a significant amount of money on players, the London club concluded the season without any trophies and are on track to have their lowest season since 1993–1994, when they finished 14th under Glenn Hoddle. This is despite the fact that they won the Champions League in 2021.
Pochettino, who favors a high-pressing and offensive style of play, has established a reputation for cultivating young talent and guided Southampton to an eighth-place finish in his first full season in England before joining Spurs in 2014. Prior to joining Spurs in 2014, Pochettino spent his first full season in England with Southampton.
Before he was sacked in 2019, Tottenham made it all the way to the final of the Champions League, and they were serious title challengers in the Premier League by finishing in the top four for four consecutive seasons (2015-19).
Pochettino joined Paris Saint-Germain in January 2021 and led the club to victory in both the French Cup and the Ligue 1 championship. Despite his success, however, he was fired from his position when the club’s Champions League campaign was unsuccessful.
His coaching staff at Chelsea will consist of individuals such as Jesus Perez, Toni Jimenez, Miguel d’Agostino, and Sebastiano Pochettino.
“Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities, and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward,” stated co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. “Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, and leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward.”
“He is a successful coach who has worked at the highest levels, in a variety of leagues, and in numerous languages. Because of his philosophy, strategic approach, and unwavering dedication to growth, he distinguished himself as the most qualified candidate.