“It killed my wife because I canceled our dinner” - Mauricio Pochettino on Chelsea’s 2-2 Brentford draw
Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that he was shattered by Chelsea's 2-2 draw against Brentford last weekend (March 2). The Argentine manager revealed that he canceled a birthday dinner he had planned with his wife after the game.
The Blues have been in poor form this season, sitting 11th in the Premier League table as Pochettino continues to struggle in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.
The draw against Brentford, which saw goals from Nicolas Jackson and Axel Disasi canceled out by Mads Roerslev and Yoane Wissa, felt like a loss for Pochettino. Ruing the two points Chelsea dropped against the Bees, the Argentine said (via the Evening Standard):
“Saturday, after the Brentford game, the draw was like a loss. It killed my wife because I cancelled our dinner. I said I don’t want to go for a dinner, I wanted to stay at home."
Pochettino added:
"I was lucky because my coaching staff was with me then. We finished the day watching Real Madrid versus Valencia, had more wine, but nothing excitement. Only watching more football."
When asked whether his better half was upset about the canceled plans, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss added:
“It’s true she’s not happy with me, but she know very well that the mood is not very good. When the mood is not good, it’s not easy for the family."
"The responsibility is to win and provide good feelings to the fans. You feel the responsibility when things are not so good.”
Chelsea will next face Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on Monday (March 11).
Chelsea 'likely to sell' Marc Cucurella this summer as Mauricio Pochettino seeks reinforcements - Reports
Chelsea star Marc Cucurella is likely to leave west London this summer, with the Blues keen to offload the Spanish left-back and bring in reinforcements, according to GIVEMESPORT.
Cucurella has registered just nine Premier League appearances this season. The 25-year-old defender suffered an ankle injury and underwent surgery in December.
While he has yet to feature on the pitch for Chelsea since then, the Spaniard was named in the squad against Brentford last weekend. However, Cucurella is not in the club's long-term plans.
Pochettino has reportedly identified six potential candidates to replace Cucurella and provide competition to Ben Chilwell, per the aforementioned outlet. Fulham defender Antonee Robinson is understood to be one of the six on the Blues' radar.
The west Londoners signed Cucurella in 2022 for a reported £60 million on a contract that runs until 2028. According to Football Insider, they are prepared to entertain offers as low as £30 million for the Spanish left-back, despite the prospect of a major loss.