EPL: Mauricio Pochettino named next Chelsea head coach
Chelsea on Monday, May 29, announced that Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed as the club’s new manager.
Pochettino had emerged as the favourite after Chelsea held talks with former Spain manager Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann, who was sacked by Bayern Munich in March.
Pochettino verbally agreed to take charge at Chelsea in April, but the appointment was put on hold until the end of the season.
Pochettino will take up the role on July 1, after agreeing to a two-year contract, with the club having the option of keeping him on for another year.
Chelsea’s sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said in a statement;
“Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea 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.”
Chelsea described Mauricio Pochettino as a coach who is “renowned for his sides’ high-energy and eye-catching style.”
This is Pochettino’s first coaching role since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in July last year and this marks his return to the Premier League where he had an impressive 5 1/2-year spell with Tottenham that included a run to the Champions League final.
The Argentine is the permanent successor to Graham Potter, who was fired in March after nearly seven months in charge. Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has led the team on an interim basis since then and they finished the Premier League in 12th place, the bottom of the Premier League for the first time since the 1995-96 season.
Pochettino will arrive at Stamford Bridge to find a club in crisis. They also lost to Manchester City in the FA Cup and League Cup and made a limp Champions League quarter-final exit against Real Madrid.
Believed to be keen to sign a new goalkeeper, central midfielder, and striker, Pochettino has a big job on his hands. This is despite a haphazard £550 million ($679 million) spending spree on new signings which the club’s co-owner, Todd Boehly embarked on earlier this year.
