By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino, on Tuesday, 21 May, 2024 left the club by mutual consent after just one season at Stamford Bridge.
Pochettino, 52, took charge of Chelsea on 1 July, signing a two-year contract with the option of a further year.
The Argentine was under pressure after an underwhelming first half of the season but a run of five successive wins to end the season ensured they finished sixth in the Premier League.
Chelsea were also runners-up in the Carabao Cup and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
“Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and sporting directors for the opportunity,” Pochettino said on Tuesday, 21 May, 2024.
“The club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come.”
Pochettino was Chelsea’s sixth permanent manager in five years, following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, which led to Frank Lampard taking charge on a temporary basis at the end of the 2022-23 season.
“On behalf of everyone at Chelsea, we would like to express our gratitude to Mauricio for his service this season,” sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said.
“He will be welcome back to Stamford Bridge any time and we wish him all the very best in his future coaching career.”
Coaches Jesus Perez, Miguel d’Agostino, Toni Jimenez and Sebastiano Pochettino have also left.
Pochettino, whose tenure falls just short of 12 months, is understood to have departed on very amicable terms; he felt leaving was the right decision following discussions with senior club officials.
He had been seen as the man to mould Chelsea into credible title contenders again after their £747m expenditure on transfers during the 2022-23 campaign.
The Argentine also enjoyed a significant budget, with a further £400m-plus spent on players, including Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Moises Caicedo and Christopher Nkunku.
Source: BBC Football
