Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea’s ownership couldn’t agree on the team’s course of action.
Mauricio Pochettino left Chelsea on Tuesday evening. (Image: Getty)
Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from Chelsea has been attributed in part to the club’s hiring of a set-piece specialist. Tuesday night, the Argentine’s exit from Stamford Bridge was officially announced, according to rumors that his relationship with the Blues hierarchy had become intolerable.
Pochettino, the former manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, was leaving Chelsea less than a year after he was welcomed inside.
Even though the two-time Champions League winners qualified for Europe on the last day of the season despite a difficult campaign, Pochettino was not retained for a further year.
Even though his exit has caused some uncertainty regarding Chelsea’s next permanent manager since Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali took over, it has at least spared Pochettino some embarrassment.
This is due to The Telegraph’s report that Pochettino had rejected the idea of adding a new set-piece specialist for the upcoming campaign, something Chelsea management decided to move forward with anyhow.
In the upcoming weeks, Brentford’s Premier League rival Bernardo Cueva, a former statistician, is expected to sign with Chelsea. In addition, Cueva will oversee a revamped set-piece department at Chelsea as the Chelsea board continues to reorganize the Blues’ off-field strategy.
Todd Boehly and co have been placed under further scrutiny after the decision to part ways with Pochettino (Image: Getty)
Pochettino was irritated by certain details, such as the creation of a set-piece department, which absolves the manager and his employees of accountability.
Cueva, as we have seen at Arsenal this season, is anticipated to be in the technical area conducting set pieces.
The 52-year-old’s outlook on the game runs counter to the culture Boehly and associates are attempting to establish at the west London team; Pochettino prefers a holistic approach, while Clearlake Capital uses data-driven strategies.
In any case, Chelsea’s mission now becomes appointing a head coach who is happy to operate within a system rather than taking the lead in creating one.
As another fresh start is anticipated this summer, it has already been reported that Chelsea has no plans to pursue Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, or Thomas Tuchel again.
Rather, a “younger” and more “progressive” coach is anticipated to be pursued; early front-runners include Thomas Frank of Brentford and Sebastian Hoeness, Michel, and Kieran McKenna.
Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, Chelsea’s sporting directors, will be searching for their next manager. The board believes that the hiring process should be finished by the time non-international players report for preseason training on July 4.
