“The club is now well positioned to keep moving forward" - Mauricio Pochettino speaks out after leaving Chelsea
Chelsea announced on Tuesday, May 21, that they have mutually agreed to part ways with Argentine tactician Mauricio Pochettino. In his statement after the decision was announced, Pochettino stated that the Blues are well positioned to progress in the Premier League and in Europe in the coming seasons.
It was a rather underwhelming season for the former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain manager. He led the club to the final of the Carabao Cup, where he lost his only chance at a trophy this season to Liverpool. He also got them to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they lost to Manchester City. Their league performance was underwhelming as they finished sixth with 63 points.
For large parts of the season, Chelsea seemed destined for a mid-table finish in the league. However, a resurgence towards the end of the campaign meant they secured a European spot. The Blues lost just one Premier League game (5-0 to Arsenal) since the start of February.
It seemed as though he would stay on for longer, to continue building on this resurgence in the coming season. However, the Chelsea ownership and the manager decided against continuing their working relationship. Mauricio Pochettino said in a statement (via the club website):
"Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and Sporting Directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club's history. The Club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come."
Blues' sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Wistanley 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."
Hansi Flick interested in Chelsea job, following Mauricio Pochettino's exit
Following Mauricio Pochettino's dismissal from the Stamford Bridge dugout, the Blues will need to begin their search for a new manager.
According to journalist Christian Falk, German manager Hansi Flick has his eye on the West London job. Flick notably won every competition with Bayern Munich, lifting the UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga, and DFB Pokal in the 2019-20 season. He was also the assistant manager during Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning campaign.
There are no certainties that the Stamford Bridge giants would be willing to make a move for Flick though. There are a number of candidates they are still reportedly considering, including former manager Thomas Tuchel, who led the Blues to the Champions League trophy.