Mauricio Pochettino: Chelsea agree agreement to appoint former Tottenham boss as next Spurs coach | football news

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Chelsea have agreed a deal to appoint former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino as their manager.

The 51-year-old Argentine, who is set to return to the English Premier League after being sacked by Chelsea’s London rivals Tottenham in November 2019, will replace interim coach Frank Lampard at the end of this season.

Pochettino will permanently succeed Graham Potter, who was sacked at the beginning of April after less than seven months in charge.

Despite spending £600m in the last two transfer windows, Chelsea are in the bottom half of the Premier League and will finish the season without a trophy, while also not playing in European competition next season.

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Watch: highlights of the confrontation between Chelsea and Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League

Pochettino has been out of a job since being sacked by Paris Saint-Germain last summer after 18 months in charge of the French team, after leading them to the Ligue 1 title in 2022 and the French Cup the year before.

The former Espanyol coach led Tottenham for five years from May 2014 but failed to win a trophy at the north London club.

He led them to the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final, which they lost to Liverpool, and also led them to the 2015 League Cup Final and their second-place finish in the 2016-17 Premier League season, with Chelsea winning both tournaments.

Neville: Poch the right for Boehly’s Chelsea Image: Pochettino won Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain before leaving last summer

Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville sees Pochettino as the right man to take over permanently at Stamford Bridge, given the profile of players Chelsea have signed.

Based on what [Chelsea co-owner Todd] Bohle said, “Chelsea have made their spending over the next three years – apart from signing centre-forwards,” Neville told Sky Sports in April.

“If they sign Zinedine Zidane, Luis Enrique or Diego Simeone, they will want another £300m because they won’t like some of the players they signed before.

“They have to appoint a manager who will inherit such a team as they have – a lot of them are young – and I think that guy is Mauricio Pochettino.”

The move makes sense – but no side can afford to fail Photo: Pochettino spent five years with London rivals Chelsea

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While Mauricio Pochettino would no doubt be excited to return to the Premier League, and Chelsea would be happy to secure a manager of his lineage, there is a lot riding on the Argentine’s appointment – for both parties.

Unusually for a manager whose previous stint in the Premier League ended with him being sacked by Tottenham nearly four years ago, Pochettino’s stock remains up in Serie A, with Spurs slumping since his exit which helps explain why.

But while the 51-year-old has been lauded for the work he has done at Tottenham, culminating in his first Champions League final in 2019, he ultimately failed to bring any long-sought silverware to north London during his spell in charge. that lasted five years. This kind of record will not be tolerated at Chelsea.

Pochettino ended his personal cup drought at PSG, winning the French Cup in 2021 and Ligue 1 a year later, but he was also sacked by the French giants and out of work since last summer.

This was a long time for an elite coach to be away from the club’s day-to-day management, while the fact that Unai Emery was still at Arsenal and Frank Lampard was just starting his first spell in charge of Chelsea loomed large in the moment. Pochettino’s exit from Tottenham shows how long he has been away from the Premier League.

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Frank Lampard promoted Chelsea Under-14s captain Charlie Holland to first-team coach after the youngster’s starring role in the 5-0 Albert Phelan South Cup Final win against Fulham earlier this month.

The pressure on Pochettino is clear – but it’s weighing heavily on his new employers. Since their takeover last summer, Todd Bohle and Bagdad Eghbali have overseen one of the most chaotic and unsuccessful seasons in Chelsea’s recent history.

After seeing their decision to sack Champions League-winning manager Thomas Tuchel and replace him with Graham Potter backfire spectacularly, the owners need Pochettino – who will be the fifth person to take charge of a Chelsea game in less than 12 months – to justify it. Faith.

Bohli and Eghbali could not afford any more damage to their credibility. Chelsea fans are not going to take another season of mediocrity, while the financial concerns stemming from continued Champions League absences cannot be overlooked.

Pochettino – a coach with a proven track record in the Premier League – makes sense for Chelsea, while the young and talented Blues side seem to suit the manager.

The potential gains for both parties are clear – but neither can afford this partnership to fail.

The remaining matches for Chelsea

May 21: Manchester City (A) – Premier League kick-off at 3pm live on Sky Sports

May 25: Manchester United (A) – Premier League, 8pm CET, LIVE on Sky Sports

May 28: Newcastle (H) – Premier League, 4.30pm

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