"It is a thing we all believe" - Mauricio Pochettino reveals why he keeps lemons in his Chelsea office
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed the bizarre reason why he keeps lemons in his office. The Argentine boss said that they help in absorbing negative energy and creating a positive atmosphere around the club.
Pochettino also added that it's not a new practice but something he started during his time at Tottenham Hotspur, which he says worked wonders. The Argentine said in a pre-match press conference ahead of his side's league game against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (September 24) (as quoted by Metro):
"They started to work after two years at Tottenham. Give time to the lemons. It is a thing that we all believe. If you want to have good energy you need to implement all the things that you believe.
"I believe in the lemons, but, at Tottenham, they started to work after one and a half, two years. They need a long time. They are not magic, but more than ever I still believe in them."
The Argentine added:
"Today, in my office I have yellow ones, green ones, different types. From Spain, from Italy. I don’t want to lie, there is a big box of lemons.
"I always thought the yellow lemons worked much better than the green, but now, I believe in any colour – any colour can help. If I could get a blue lemon it would be even better."
Chelsea have had a dismal start to their 2023-24 Premier League campaign under new boss Pochettino. They're languishing in 14th place in the standings, winning only one of their five games and losing twice.
"It's about us recovering players" - Chelsea boss says no Champions League football is 'a blessing in disguise'
During the aforementioned press conference ahead of the Aston Villa game, Pochettino was asked whether his team's lack of European football this season could be a blessing in disguise.
The Chelsea manager responded in the affirmative. Pochettino said that they need to focus on players recovering from injury (as quoted by football.london):
"Yes, because I think for us it's about us recovering players from injury. The circumstance is good to have time to work.
"It was a very good week, we worked really hard with the players we have and then time to recover players. If you (are) involved in European competition, it is difficult."
The former PSG boss added:
"For the fans, of course, it is difficult because normally Chelsea are involved in the competition, but, at the moment, we are not. We need to take advantage of the situation."
Chelsea had an disappointing 2022-23 Premier League campaign under three different managers. They finished 12th, securing just 11 wins.
As a result, the West London outfit failed to qualify for Europe altogether. It remains to be seen whether Pochettino can turn things around and lead the team to a top-four finish this term.