"I am proud of my past but now I need to look forward" - Mauricio Pochettino reveals why he joined Chelsea despite his stint at Tottenham
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has explained why he joined London rivals Chelsea this summer. The Argentine boss, while proud of his stint with the Lilywhites, insisted that he must look forward and continue his managerial career.
When asked about why he feels this is the perfect opportunity in his first interview as Chelsea manager, Pochettino said (as quoted by Football.London):
"I was one year waiting. I hope you will be nice with me. It's not compulsory, I can walk away."
"I am so proud to be here. It is a great opportunity for me to be back in the Premier League, Chelsea convinced me to be here. It is a great team. I am proud of my past but now I need to look forward, concentrate on what people expect of me and hope to build a good relationship with everyone."
He added:
"We need to be right in our decision to create a competitive team. What I have found in the club from Monday is very good people, good attitudes. So far so good."
Pochettino was in charge of Tottenham Hotspur for five years before being appointed as head coach of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Lilywhites had arguably their best chance at lifting a major European trophy under the Argentine boss. They secured a spot in the UEFA Champions League final during the 2018/19 season, where they lost 2-0 against Liverpool.
Chelsea had quite a turbulent 2022/23 campaign, failing to secure a spot in the top half of the Premier League table. The Blues finished 12th in the standings last term, winning only 11 games the entire season.
It remains to be seen whether Pochettino can turn things around at the West London outfit during the 2023/24 season.
"I don't know what happened" - Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino on Mason Mount's move to Manchester United
Pochettino also spoke about former Chelsea star Mason Mount's move to Manchester United this summer in the aforementioned press conference.
#CFC
“We have not our whole squad but they are very open. We have quality, we are going to add MORE quality”.
Pochettino: “I don’t know what happened with Mount but we have to move on. The past is the past”. 🔵 #CFC
👀 “We have not our whole squad but they are very open. We have quality, we are going to add MORE quality”. https://t.co/XXLrZ8TciM
Manchester United secured the England international's services for £55 million after Mount and the Blues were unable to agree on a contract extension. His deal with the West London outfit was set to expire next summer, and the club were unwilling to let the midfielder leave on a free transfer.
When asked whether he would have liked to have Mount in the current Chelsea squad, Pochettino said:
"When I talk about the future, it's about the players in the squad. He's a Manchester United player now. I don't know what happened in the past, we need to be focused on our players and move and try to build a nice story."
Mount earned a promotion to the first team at Stamford Bridge under former manager Frank Lampard in the summer of 2019. The English midfielder won the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Supercup during his time at the West London outfit. He was named Chelsea Player of the Year in the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons.
Mount registered 195 appearances across all competitions for the Blues, scoring 33 goals and providing 37 assists.