LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea after just one season in charge by mutual consent, the English club announced on Tuesday.
The Blues finished sixth in the Premier League thanks to a fine run toward the end of the season but missed out on Champions League qualification and a trophy.
“Chelsea FC can confirm that the club and Mauricio Pochettino have mutually agreed to part ways,” Chelsea said in a statement.
In just two years under the ownership of an American consortium fronted by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and private equity group Clearlake Capital, Chelsea have spent over £1 billion ($1.3 billion) on new players.
The vast majority of that was spent on rising stars and Pochettino pointed to a lack of experience and a lengthy injury list for failing to achieve consistent results.
Chelsea lost the League Cup final 1-0 to Liverpool after extra-time and pushed Manchester City all the way before losing in the FA Cup semifinals by the same score.
But there had been signs that Pochettino’s project was coming together in a run of five consecutive wins to end the campaign that ensured Chelsea will be in Europe next season.
They will qualify for the Europa League if Manchester United lose to City in the FA Cup final and the Conference League if the Red Devils shock the English champions.
“Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and sporting directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club’s history,” said Pochettino.
“The club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come.”
Chelsea sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said: “On behalf of everyone at Chelsea, we would like to express our gratitude to Mauricio for his service this season.
“He will be welcome back to Stamford Bridge any time and we wish him all the very best in his future coaching career.”
Pochettino is the fourth manager to depart under Boehly’s regime after Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Pochettino met Boehly for dinner on Friday before his departure was confirmed after an end-of-season review with Stewart and Winstanley.
The 52-year-old arrived in west London with the task of getting Chelsea back on track after they finished 12th in the 2022/23 Premier League season.
The Argentine had to bed in another influx of new signings as Chelsea broke the British transfer record to buy Moises Caicedo for £115 million.
He suffered a difficult start as they won just three of their opening 10 Premier League games.
But led by the stunning form of Cole Palmer, only City, Arsenal and Liverpool picked up more points than Chelsea in the second half of the season.
According to reports Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness, Girona boss Michel, Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna and Enzo Maresca of Leicester are among those in contention to be next in the Stamford Bridge hot seat.
Pochettino began his coaching career at Espanyol before shining in a short spell at Southampton.
That earned him a move to Tottenham, where he established Spurs as regulars at the top end of the Premier League and took the club to a first ever Champions League final in 2019.
Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham just months later before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, where we won one Ligue 1 title and French Cup in 18 months in charge.
Pochettino leaves Chelsea after just one season in charge
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Pochettino leaves Chelsea after just one season in charge
- “Chelsea FC can confirm that the club and Mauricio Pochettino have mutually agreed to part ways,” Chelsea said in a statement
- “Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and sporting directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club’s history,” said Pochettino
PSG move top with nervy 3-2 win at bottom club Metz
- PSG are on 36 points, two ahead of Lens who host Nice on Sunday
- PSG struggled to create any early chances against Metz who have the worst defensive record
LONGEVILLE-LES-METZ, France: Paris St. Germain moved provisionally top of Ligue 1 with a 3-2 win at bottom club Metz on Saturday where the champions twice had a two-goal cushion cut and Goncalo Ramos, Quentin Ndjantou and Desire Doue were all on the scoresheet for the visitors.
PSG are on 36 points, two ahead of Lens who host Nice on Sunday while Metz remain bottom of the standings with 11 points.
PSG struggled to create any early chances against Metz who have the worst defensive record in the league this season, conceding 34 goals in their 15 previous games, but finally found a way through in the 31st minute.
Lee Kang-in played a one-two from a short corner before floating the ball toward the six-yard area where Ramos steered his header into the bottom corner.
PSG scored their second eight minutes later. Ibrahim Mbaye played a pinpoint pass across the box for Ndjantou to slide in and net his first goal for the club. The 18-year-old became PSG’s 17th different goalscorer in Ligue 1 this campaign.
Ramos wasted a gilt-edged chance to score another goal minutes earlier when his touch let him down as he tried to round the keeper and, out of nowhere, three minutes before the break Metz pulled one back.
Habib Diallo had a shot blocked in the box and when the ball came out to Jessy Deminguet he smacked a half-volley into the roof of the net to set up a more intriguing second half.
Metz keeper Jonathan Fischer denied Ndjantou, Ramos and Lee as PSG looked to kill off any hopes of a Metz comeback after halftime but the hosts almost found an equalizer before the hour mark.
Diallo volleyed narrowly wide and moments later, PSG keeper Matvey Safonov got down well to parry away a Koffi Kouao strike.
But, just when the hosts were enjoying their best period, PSG launched a counter attack from the resulting corner which sent substitute Doue through on goal and he made no mistake with a composed finish in the 63rd minute.
Mbaye’s shot rocked the crossbar as PSG began to turn the screw and Fischer made another fine save from Doue’s ferocious strike.
METZ MOMENT OF MAGIC
Metz refused to bow and nine minutes from time the home side created a beautiful goal to set up a nervy ending for the visitors.
Giorgi Tsitaishvili made a bursting run with the ball into the box from the wing and although he momentarily lost possession, Gauthier Hein played a clever backheeled pass back to Tsitaishvili who rifled his shot into the far corner.
PSG held on, but Metz will take satisfaction from their performance and if they can produce this type of display against lesser sides, they might be able to avoid a swift return to Ligue 2.
