Chelsea owners reveal why they settled on Mauricio Pochettino as new manager

Chelsea's new boss Mauricio Pochettino

FOOTBALL Chelsea owners reveal why they settled on Mauricio Pochettino as new manager

Kiplagat Sang 15:20 - 29.05.2023

Jesus Perez, Miguel d’Agostino, Toni Jimenez, and Sebastiano Pochettino will form the new coaching staff at the club.

Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager with the club's owners revealing that his "outstanding track record" earned him the job. 

This means the Argentine has returned to London after previously taking charge of Tottenham Hotspur. He takes over the reins from Graham Potter, who was sacked, and Frank Lampard, who was appointed on an interim basis until the end of the concluded season.

"Chelsea Football Club is pleased to confirm Mauricio Pochettino will become head coach of the men’s team from the beginning of the 2023–24 season," the club confirmed on Monday.

"The Argentine will begin his new role on July 1, 2023, on a two-year contract, with a club option of a further year," read the club statemate. 

"Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities, and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward." 

"He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages. His ethos, tactical approach, and commitment to development all made him an exceptional candidate," Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, said.

Owners Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali, Jose E. Feliciano, Mark Walter, and Hansjorg Wyss explained why they settled on the Argentine, who had been long linked with the job.

"The sporting team conducted a diligent and thoughtful process that the board is proud of. We are delighted that Mauricio will be joining Chelsea, they said.

"Mauricio is a world-class coach with an outstanding track record. We are all looking forward to having him on board.

"Pochettino is a coach renowned for his sides’ high-energy and eye-catching style, and he has built a reputation for helping young players realize their full potential within a strong squad ethos."

The 51-year-old led PSG to a Ligue 1 title before he parted ways with the club in 2021.

Pochettino will start his role at Stamford Bridge on July 1, and his main goal should be to turn the club into a competitive side once more. The Blues will not be playing in Europe next season after a poor 2022–23 season.

Apart from winning Ligue 1, he also lifted the French Cup in his 18-month stint as PSG manager.

Previously, he was in charge of Espanyol and was at the helm of Spurs for five seasons.

However, he was unable to lead the London club to any trophy despite enjoying a long-term stint there. He came close to ending the club’s trophyless history when he led them to the 2019 Champions League final, which they lost to Liverpool.

He also took Spurs to the 2015 League Cup final and to a second-place finish in the 2016–17 Premier League season.