English Premier League side Chelsea have confirmed on Monday that former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino will take charge of the club on a two-year deal in the new season. Additional year.
Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League on Sunday after a chaotic season in which Thomas Duchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard managed the London club in succession.
Argentine Pochettino, 51, has signed a two-year contract with an option to extend by one year and will start work on July 1.
Pochettino was linked with coaching Chelsea when the club sought a permanent replacement after the sacking of Thomas Duchel last year, but the team opted to appoint Graham Potter as Brighton & Hove Albion coach.
Pochettino becomes the third full-time coach to lead Chelsea since ownership of the club was transferred to a consortium led by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Pauli.
Chelsea’s owners said in a statement: “Maurizio is a top-class manager and we look forward to having him with us.
When Lampard was appointed to lead Chelsea, the club’s owners said he would be on a temporary basis until another full-time coach was hired, as Chelsea opted for a “comprehensive process”.
Chelsea finished 12th in the league with eight defeats in 11 matches under Lampard and will not be competing in any European Championship next season after exiting in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The London side won the Champions League in 2021, but finished the season empty-handed and occupied the worst position in the league since the 1993-1994 season, tied with Glenn Hodel in 14th place at the time. The club’s owners spend lavishly to recruit players.
Pochettino, who prefers high pressure and attacking play and is renowned for nurturing young players, led Southampton to eighth in his first full season in England before taking charge of Spurs in 2014.
Tottenham reached the 2019 Champions League final and became a major contender in the English Premier League, finishing in the top four in four consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2019 before Pochettino was sacked.
Pochettino joined PSG in January 2021, won the French Cup and the Ligue 1 title, but was sacked after failing to achieve the team’s ambitions in the Champions League.
His Chelsea coaching staff included Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino, Tony Jimenez and Sebastiano Pochettino.
The team’s sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, said: “Mauricio’s experience, excellent standards, leadership qualities and personality will serve Chelsea Football Club well. He is a successful manager who has worked at the highest level in many leagues and regions. His spirit, tactical approach and team development Dedication makes him an exceptional candidate.
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