Prior to the 2023–24 season, new Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino made it clear that he wants ‘leaders, not followers’ in his team.
On Monday, Pochettino made his first visit to the team’s training facility in Cobham and immediately started to win over supporters by proclaiming that the Blues had been England’s best team for the previous ten years.
The Argentine has a challenging task ahead of him after Chelsea’s lowest Premier League finish since the 1993–1994 season—12th—last season.
In preparation for a season without European competition, their team is undergoing major surgery. N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, and Kai Havertz have all already departed, and Mason Mount is on the verge of leaving as well.
There aren’t many obvious prospects to succeed club captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who is anticipated to join Atletico Madrid, but Pochettino has urged his team to take charge and act as leaders.
“We need leaders, not followers, in every single area and we will push every person to bring their best and give their best for the club,” Pochettino said.
He added: “If we are all together, we are going to be very strong. We have an unbelievable squad and for sure are going to bring players with commitment who want to be part of it also. With the fans and everyone, we can find again the way to be successful.”
Because Azpilicueta’s transfer hasn’t been finalized, Chelsea hasn’t decided who would serve as captain, but it’s likely that vice-captain Thiago Silva will do so.