Chelsea appoint Pochettino new manager after worst finish in nearly 30 years
The former Spurs and PSG coach will start on July 1
Chelsea announced on Monday that they had hired Mauricio Pochettino to take over as manager.
Pochettino, 51, signed a two-year deal with the option for a third. He will officially start on July 1 ahead of the London club’s preseason tour of the United States.
In a joint statement, co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital executive Behdad Eghbali said Pochettino’s “experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward. He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages.”
The announcement comes after Chelsea finished 12th, the team’s worst finish in 29 years. Spending $600 million on players, including World Cup-winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez, this season was not a quick fix for a club who is used to contending for domestic and continental titles.
Pochettino has coached a number of clubs, including Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain. Pochettino, who was born in Argentina, helped Spurs reach the Champions League final in 2019 and guided PSG to the Ligue 1 title in 2022.
Sources told ESPN that the club had spoken to a number of candidates after firing Graham Potter on April 3 but that Pochettino was their first choice early in the process.
The club also said Pochettino's backroom staff will include longtime assistant Jesus Perez, first-team coach Miguel D’Agostino, goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez and his sports scientist son Sebastiano.
Pochettino is Chelsea’s sixth manager in five years following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel and Potter earlier this season, which led to Frank Lampard taking over on an interim basis.