More details are beginning to surface regarding the fractured relationship between Chelsea owner Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino. It was announced on Tuesday that the manager departed the club by mutual consent. The Argentine coach lasted only one season with the west London team.
Pochettino’s place in the team previously seemed fairly secure after he managed to turn things around in the second half of the 2023/24 season. The Blues only lost one of their last 15 Premier League matches. After finishing in a disappointing 12th in the English top-flight table in the prior campaign, Pochettino took Chelsea up to sixth in the standings. Although this is still not exactly where the club needs to be, it is undoubtedly an improvement.
The club’s ownership, including American Todd Boehly, apparently met with Pochettino multiple times earlier in the week. The meetings were to figure out whether or not the two sides would continue working together. According to reports, Pochettino asked for a contract extension and to have more of a say in transfers. These two demands, however, were denied by Boehly and company. As a result, the two sides went their separate ways.
Pochettino’s demands were hardly out of line. Managers typically want job security and at least input on transfer decisions. Nevertheless, it certainly appears that Boehly wants a sycophant in the role to just go along with his plan. Instead of a real manager, the American seemingly prefers hiring a head coach to run training and select starting lineups.
This was also evident in Chelsea’s firing of Thomas Tuchel back in the fall of 2022. The German previously guided the club to a Champions League title just a year prior. Tuchel, however, can be tough to deal with and prefers at least some control in the club in which he is managing. Although a run of poor results to start the 2022/23 campaign surely played a role in his departure, Boehly does not want to deal with strong personalities.
Pochettino’s departure now means that Boehly will soon appoint his sixth coach since entering the fray just two years ago. Three of these managers were signed on as permanent managers. Along with the Argentine and Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor, and Frank Lampard have all taken charge of games for the club during this timeframe. It is almost as if there are bigger issues at Chelsea than just the coaches.
The Blues have faltered in recent seasons with Boehly at the helm, despite spending massive amounts of money on new players. The American billionaire completely renovated his squad by recording a net spend of over $825 million since the summer of 2022. Despite this huge investment, the club has failed to reach the Champions League in each of the last two seasons.
While Boehly has taken out his frustrations on his coaches, player recruitment at the club has been subpar. There is still time, but many of the players that the billionaire has brought in have not worked out just yet. Not only have many massive signings fallen flat, but the club may potentially face charges for breaching spending laws as well.
Pochettino could very well look back on his divorce with Chelsea as a blessing in disguise. Boehly is hard to impress, while also being seemingly difficult to deal with as well. The Argentine manager will now likely be targeted for other top jobs around Europe. The coach is already being linked with potential moves to Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
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