Mauricio Pochettino is now Chelsea new manager as Chelsea officially confirm his appointment as manager.
A club statement released by Chelsea confirming the appointment reads;
“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.”
Reacting to Mauricio Pochettino’s emergence as the club’s new manager, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, who are Chelsea co-sport directors at the club, highlight the sterling qualities of the Blues’ new manager that has made him a perfect fit for the Chelsea job.
Lauding the on-field and off-field qualities of the Argentine, Stewart and Winstanley remained confident Pochettino will deliver as Chelsea manager given his winning mentality, wealth of experience, his style of play and tactics, including other deep attributes making him the most relevant for the role.
The statement by the two co-sport directors, made available on the club’s website reads;
”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 the exceptional candidate.”
Todd Boehly Reacts to Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment as Chelsea manager
Chelsea new owner, Todd Boehly, and co-owner, Behdad Eghbali were also full of praise for the Argentine and the thorough process by the sporting team that saw Mauricio Pochettino emerge as the new manager.
They also expressed absolute confidence on the ability of Mauricio Pochettino to have the job done with his wealth of experience and managerial record.
“The sporting team conducted a diligent and thoughtful process that the Board is proud of. We are delighted that Mauricio will be joining Chelsea. Mauricio is a world-class coach with an outstanding track record. We are all looking forward to having him on board,” Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali’s statement read.
Mauricio Pochettino’s managerial profile
Mauricio Pochettino did not have a glittering playing career, but the stars have lined up for the Argentine in his managerial career.
Pochettino, 51, started his managerial career with Espanyol in Spain in 2009.
He was appointed Espanyol manager in January, 2009 a month after he received his UEFA Pro License as a professional football coach in December, 2008.
He took over Espanyol in the relegation zone. The club sat 18th on the table but under his tutelage, they survived relegation and finish mid-table in the league.
In his three years as Espanyol manager, he maintained the club on the Spanish topflight. His success with Espanyol in his first season was linked to his ability to immediately reconfigure the team to fit his 4-2-3-1 high-pressing style.
Pochettino first spell in the Premier League as manager was with Southampton.
He joined Southampton in January 2013. He led the team to the eighth place on the table – the club’s highest league position in a decade.
After just a year with Southampton, Pochettino joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2014. He has been credited for converting several young Tottenham academy players into the first team. He reached the League Cup final and also led the team to a fifth-place finish on the Premier League table in his first season.
The following season, Pochettino led Tottenham to contend for the Premier League trophy in the 2015/16 season but lost out to eventual champions Leicester City.
Under his watch, Mauricio Pochettino led Tottenham to their highest league position in years after they finished second on the league table with 86 points in 2017. He also led the team to their first ever Champions League final in 2019 before being sacked as manager in November 19, 2021 following a poor start to the 2020/21 Premier League season.
After a five-year stint with Tottenham, he joined PSG as manager in 2021 and won his first trophy as manager, winning the Ligue 1, Coup de France, and Trophees des Champions.
He parted ways with the club following a Champions League semifinal loss to Manchester City but had eliminated Barcelona and Bayern Munich from the competition.
Mauricio Pochettino has been deemed a perfect fit for the Chelsea job given his wealth of experience. He was in the race to take over the Chelsea job with the likes of former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann and former Barcelona and Spain head coach, Luis Enrique, beating the two contenders to emerge as favorite and subsequently land the job.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea reign will begin effectively on July 1, 2023. He has signed a two-year contract with the club with an option of a one-year extension.
