Graham Potter jets off to Maldives on holiday and checks Chelsea's result against Liverpool despite sacking - Reports
Recently sacked Chelsea manager Graham Potter reportedly checked the result of the Blues’ clash against Liverpool on his way to the Maldives.
Chelsea dismissed Potter as manager on April 2, a day after Aston Villa bagged a 2-0 win over the Pensioners at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. The defeat left the west Londoners in 11th place in the standings and Potter without a job, just over six months after he was appointed. According to the Sun, dismissing Potter cost the Blues dearly, as they had to pay him a whopping £13 million as part of severance settlement.
It has been claimed that the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss spent £20,000 of his massive pay-out to take a luxurious vacation in the Maldives with his wife and three children. After boarding a Maldives-bound flight in Dubai, Potter reportedly checked out that Chelsea had played out a goalless draw with Liverpool in the Premier League (April 4).
A source said:
“Graham certainly wasn’t cracking open the champagne, and, if anything, looked a little glum. He perked up during the flight — perhaps knowing Chelsea still struggled without him gave him a lift.”
They added:
“He played games with his son and also had a snooze. He was last on the plane and first off, disappearing in a private bus.”
Potter managed the Premier League giants 31 times since being recruited from Brighton in September. The 2021 Champions League winners only averaged 1.42 points per game during his tenure.
Frank Lampard’s potential backroom staff revealed as Chelsea legend backed for shock return
According to football.london, Chelsea have reached an agreement in principle with Frank Lampard to become the club’s interim manager till the end of the season. Meanwhile, the search for a permanent coach will continue.
Lampard has already served as the club’s manager once before, replacing Maurizio Sarri in July 2019. He was in charge till January 2021, picking up an average of 1.75 points over 84 games.
During his first spell, Lampard had a five-man backroom team, consisting of Jody Morris, his assistant Eddie Newton, Henrique Hilario, Chris Jones and Joe Edwards. As per The Athletic, Joe Edwards, Chris Jones and Ashley Cole will be joining Lampard this time. Lampard brought Cole on as a first-team coach during his time at Everton.
Lampard was dismissed as Everton boss in January 2023, following a series of unflattering results. He managed them in 44 games, averaging just a point.