-
Mauricio Pochettino signs three-year deal to become Chelsea head coach.
According to reports, Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to terms with Chelsea on a three-year contract extension.
Sources have revealed that the Argentine has agreed to terms with Chelsea and that he will be joined by his normal backroom crew of Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino, and Toni Jimenez.
Pochettino’s hiring has yet to be formally confirmed by Chelsea, but the news of his impending arrival will come as a pleasant relief to the club’s supporters following a gruelling 2022/23 season.
The Blues have fired head coaches Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter this season, and things haven’t gotten any better since Todd Boehly and the club’s Clearlake Capital owners turned to iconic former player Frank Lampard as a temporary remedy.
The 4-1 thrashing at Manchester United on Thursday is the latest disgrace for a club that spent a staggering amount of money in the summer window but still sits 12th in the Premier League standings after losing 16 games. Lampard has lost eight of the 10 games he has been in charge of.
Chelsea has exited both domestic cup competitions at the earliest opportunity, although admittedly against Manchester City, and has only scored 37 league goals all season, easily their poorest output in Premier League history.
Beginning in early May, there was a report that Chelsea was seeking to finalize the hiring of Pochettino after reaching out to the former Tottenham head coach after speaking with Julian Naglesmann and others.
Since leaving Paris Saint-Germain last year after an 18-month tenure in charge that resulted in a Ligue 1 title but inadequate advancement in the Champions League, 51-year-old Pochettino has been jobless.
Pochettino previously led Chelsea’s bitter rivals Tottenham for five and a half years, transforming them into the title challengers in the Premier League and leading them to their first-ever participation in a Champions League final.
The inability to win titles has been a frequent complaint of Pochettino, although his methods of operation, tactical insight, and ability to forge bonds with players have all received high acclaim. He began his coaching career as the head coach of his previous club Espanyol before taking over as manager of Southampton in the Premier League.