Chelsea appoint Pochettino as new head coach

Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach.

The Argentinian has agreed a two-year deal, with Chelsea having an option to extend that by a further year. He will start his role on 1 July and returns to the Premier League after leaving Tottenham Hotspur in November 2019.

Chelsea’s co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said in a club statement: "Mauricio’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. His ethos, tactical approach and commitment to development all made him the exceptional candidate."

Owners Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali, Jose E. Feliciano, Mark Walter and Hansjorg Wyss added: "We are delighted that Mauricio will be joining Chelsea. Mauricio is a world-class coach with an outstanding track record. We are all looking forward to having him on board."

Pochettino's first job in the Premier League came back in January 2013, when he took charge of Southampton. In his first full season he led Saints to their joint-highest finish of eighth.

He then moved to Spurs in the summer of 2014 and went on to make more history, taking them to a club-record high of third place in 2015/16, followed by second and third-placed finishes in the following two campaigns.

In the UEFA Champions League, he led the club to the last 16 in 2017/18 and then the final in 2018/19, where his side lost to Liverpool.

Pochettino left Spurs in November 2019, but with an average points record of 1.89 per match that no manager at the club has bettered in the Premier League era. 

He also left the Premier League having won four Manager of the Month awards in October 2013, September 2015, February 2016 and April 2017.

Pochettino's Premier League record

Pochettino went on to spend 18 months in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the 2020/21 Coupe de France and the 2021/22 league title.

He will arrive at Stamford Bridge after a disappointing season for Chelsea, who began it with Thomas Tuchel in charge, before he was replaced by Graham Potter in September 2022.

Potter endured a difficult time at Stamford Bridge, departing the club in April. The Blues then appointed former player Frank Lampard as caretaker manager until the end of the season.

Chelsea finished 12th, a 29-year low for the club in the Premier League.

Fixtures for the 2023/24 campaign will be released at 09:00 BST on 15 June, with the 2023/24 Premier League season due to kick off on Saturday 12 August, 2023.

Also in this series

Part 2: How Chelsea will benefit from Pochettino's attacking approach
Part 3: 'Pochettino will bring goals and sunshine'