Ukpono Anietie, PH.
Chelsea Football Club has officially announced the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as the head coach of the men’s team, commencing from the upcoming 2023/24 season.
The Argentine maestro, renowned for his high-energy and captivating style of play, will take the reins at Stamford Bridge on July 1, 2023, signing a two-year contract with the option for an additional year.
The 50-year-old coach brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success to the London club.
Having worked at the highest levels of the game and across various leagues, Pochettino’s appointment signifies Chelsea’s strong ambition to reclaim their dominance both domestically and on the European stage.
In a statement made on the club’s website, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, expressed their confidence in Pochettino, emphasizing his exceptional qualities and leadership skills.
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“Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward. He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages.
“His ethos, tactical approach and commitment to development all made him the exceptional candidate,” they said.
The club’s owners, Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali, José E. Feliciano, Mark Walter, and Hansjörg Wyss, echoed the sporting team’s sentiments, expressing their delight at Pochettino’s appointment.
They emphasized their pride in the meticulous selection process, highlighting the Argentine’s remarkable coaching credentials and his ability to elevate his teams to new heights.
“The sporting team conducted a diligent and thoughtful process that the Board is proud of. We are delighted that Mauricio will be joining Chelsea.
Mauricio is a world-class coach with an outstanding track record.
We are all looking forward to having him on board,” they stated.
Thomas Tuchel was dismissed by the London club earlier in the season due to his underwhelming performance, leading to the appointment of Frank Lampard as interim manager until the end of the campaign.
Under Lampard’s stewardship, Chelsea could only manage a disappointing 12th-place finish in the Premier League, marking their lowest points total in the history of the competition.
Lampard Lauds Pochettino
Following Chelsea’s final league game against Newcastle on Sunday, which resulted in a 1-1 draw, Lampard suggested that he believed Pochettino possessed the qualities required to address these issues and reshape the squad to meet the demands of the upcoming season.
“The next manager will need a pre-season. We’re not physically competitive enough, that’s a strong opinion I have,” he said.
“The new manager can get the squad into the place he needs it to be – the squad has been too big and that has been the biggest challenge, coming in to work with players who for whatever reason are disillusioned.
“Those situations can be sorted out now and they need to be,” Lampard added.
