Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure at Chelsea has come to an end after a season of ups and downs.
The Argentine coach, who joined the club in 2023 summer, has left by mutual consent following an end-of-season review.
Pochettino, along with his coaching staff including Jesus Perez, Miguel d’Agostino, Toni Jimenez, and Sebastiano Pochettino, departs after less than a year in charge.
Despite a challenging start to the season, Chelsea managed to finish sixth in the Premier League, a significant improvement from the previous year.
However, Pochettino becomes the third permanent coach to depart since the club’s 2022 takeover.
The decision follows a period of uncertainty surrounding Pochettino’s future at Stamford Bridge.
The team struggled in midtable for much of the 2023/24 season before a turnaround in February saw them climb up the table.
A meeting between Pochettino and sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, as well as co-owner Behdad Eghbali, resulted in Pochettino agreeing to his departure.
In a statement, Sporting Directors Stewart and Winstanley thanked Pochettino for his service, stating, “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.”
Pochettino also expressed his gratitude to the club, saying, “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.”
Pochettino had subtly suggested a potential departure before the season’s conclusion, remarking, “You know, it’s not a major concern.” Despite his exit, Chelsea concluded the season emphatically, securing a fifth consecutive victory in the Premier League.
