Chelsea have agreed to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their next head coach. The Argentinian, who was sacked by Spurs in 2019, will take over from interim manager Frank Lampard at the end of the season. Pochettino will succeed Graham Potter, who was fired in April. Despite spending £600million on transfers in the last two windows, Chelsea will finish the season outside of European competition.
Pochettino managed Spurs for five years but failed to win a trophy for the North London club. However, he led the team to the 2019 Champions League final and was the Premier League runner-up in the 2016/17 season. Sky Sports’ Paul Gilmour says Pochettino has a big job to rebuild at Chelsea. “The team is huge, so the numbers need to come down a lot,” he said.
Some commentators have suggested that Pochettino is the right man for Chelsea, given the profile of the players Chelsea has signed. The move has significant implications for both sides. While Pochettino has been out of work since being fired by Paris Saint-Germain last summer, he previously ended his personal trophy drought at PSG, winning the French Cup in 2021 and Ligue 1 a year later.
Chelsea’s owners say they will run a Chelsea game within 12 months. Pochettino, the fifth manager in that time, must justify his convictions. Chelsea supporters don’t want another mediocre season, but the economic concerns of continued absence from the Champions League cannot be overlooked. A proven Premier League manager, Pochettino would make sense for Chelsea, while the Blues’ young and talented team would be the perfect fit for him. The potential upside for both sides is clear, but neither can afford this partnership to fail.