CALLS for Mauricio Pochettino to leave Chelsea rumbled on amongst fans for much of the season.
But a huge improvement in form towards the end of the season saw the club qualify for Europe and put such chatter to bed.
But just days after the end of the his first and only campaign at the helm, Pochettino shockingly quit via mutual consent.
A crazy 24 hours saw the 52-year-old Argentine amicably leave Chelsea following an end-of-season review meeting.
The road to his departure began last Friday as Pochettino had dinner with Blues owner Todd Boehly.
Chelsea then beat Bournemouth 2-1 on Sunday to secure a sixth-place finish.
The following day, the boss was reportedly called to the Cobham training ground for crunch talks, according to The Telegraph.
Sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart were there – while they also had a chat with co-owner Behdad Eghbali.
By the end of the meeting, a decision was supposedly made mutually on Pochettino’s future and he handed in his notice the following morning.
Boehly also phoned Pochettino on Monday and Tuesday.
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There was reportedly “no sacking and no arguments, just handshakes and an agreement to move on respectfully.”
The reason for Poch’s departure has been put down to issues “relating to the dynamics of working within a club structure”.
MAURICIO POCHETTINO had just started to turn Chelsea around.
An impressive run of end-of-season form saw the Blues leapfrog the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle to finish sixth in the Premier League – and earn a Europa League spot.
But it wasn’t enough to keep him in a job as it was announced on Tuesday evening that the Argentine had left.
Here are all Pochettino’s Stamford Bridge stats:
Premier League – 6th
FA Cup – Semi-finals (lost to Man City)
Carabao Cup – Runners-up (Lost to Liverpool)
Total record:
Games 51
Wins 26
Draws 11
Defeats 14
Goals for 103
Goals against 74
Both the club and the boss decided it was better to part now than risk a messy end next summer with his deal expiring.
The Blues play in the Club World Cup, which starts on June 15, 2025.
Pochettino’s contract expires at the end of that tournament, potentially creating an uneasy end to his reign should he not have earned a new deal.
There was also the threat of Pochettino being axed should Chelsea start next season poorly and fan anger rise back to the forefront.
Ultimately, Chelsea’s owners had set targets to qualify for the Champions League, which were not met.
There was always plans in place to review the season towards the end of May.
And those discussions have led to the end of Pochettino’s short reign at Stamford Bridge.
HERE are the seven names in the running to replace Mauricio Pochettino after his shock exit from Chelsea.
Roberto De Zerbi
The Italian left Brighton at the end of the season after a year and a half in charge. He was linked with a host of top jobs earlier in the campaign but a difficult run of results saw him fall out of contention for the likes of Liverpool. De Zerbi’s attacking, front-foot style would be popular at Stamford Bridge.
Kieran McKenna
The former Manchester United assistant has led Ipswich to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League. That has seen his stock shoot through the roof and he may be tempted to jump ship for a big job.
Enzo Maresca
Maresca was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City and has worked wonders at Leicester, settling the ship to send the Foxes back to the Premier League at the first attempt. Appointing a Pep disciple has turned Arsenal into title contenders, so it could work for Chelsea too.
Hansi Flick
Flick was one of football’s most in-demand managers after winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich. But it all went wrong in his next role becoming the first manager ever to be sacked by Germany. Now he’s ready to return and could be a smart move for the Blues
Sebastian Hoeness
Chelsea fans may not have heard of him, but Hoeness is Germany’s next big thing. Hoeness has transformed Stuttgart from relegation candidates to the second best team in the Bundesliga, finishing above Bayern Munich. Only invincible Bayer Leverkusen got in the way of a miracle.
Michel
Michel Sanchez has worked wonders with little Girona in Spain. The minnows were right in the LaLiga title race at Christmas before watching Real Madrid shoot into the distance. But they ran illustrious Catalan neighbours Barcelona all the way for second and are guaranteed a spot on the Champions League. Reports in Spain say that has caught Chelsea’s attention.
Jose Mourinho
Still adored by fans at Stamford Bridge, who never warmed to former Spurs boss Pochettino, Mourinho would be a popular pick. Winner of three Premier League with the Blues across two topsy-turvy spells, could he be the man to take Chelsea back to the top?
