I Played With My Reputation To Come To Chelsea – Mauricio Pochettino

Chelsea head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, said it took a risk to accept the management of the Stamford Bridge-based club.

Mauricio Pochettino, who has coached Southampton and Espanyol, made his name coaching Tottenham Hotspur between 2014 and 2019.

His best run at the North London club was leading the Premier League club to the final of the UEFA Champions League, which they lost to Liverpool in 2019.

Pochettino went on to coach Paris Saint Germain, where he won three trophies, including one French Ligue 1 title.

After he was sacked from the French giants in 2022, he was without a club for over six months before Chelsea appointed him in 2023 to manage the West London side.

Mauricio Pochettino came to Chelsea during a transition period. The new owners, led by Todd Boehly, had just spent over £1 billion signing new players, mostly under the age of 25.

Throughout Pochettino’s first season at Chelsea (which is the ongoing 2023-2024 season), the 52-year-old Argentine tactician has not been able to make the team win consistently. They are currently in the 10th spot with 43 points in 29 games.

After Chelsea’s massive 4-3 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, April 4, Pochettino noted that he was aware that it would be a “massive challenge” coaching The Blues.

“I played with my reputation to come to Chelsea also, in a project that is to build a team with young, talented players with the potential to become top players”, Pochettino told a press conference.

“We knew that was a massive challenge but I want to give the team the tools to win games, believe in ourselves, and build a very good relationship”.