POCH GONE Mauricio Pochettino LEAVES Chelsea despite promising end to season as Blues release brief statement after shock exit

CHELSEA boss Mauricio Pochettino has left the club after 11 months in charge.

Posted Wednesday, May 22, 2024 by Thesun.co.uk

The Argentine has left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent after leading the Blues to a sixth place Premier League finish this season.

POCH GONE Mauricio Pochettino LEAVES Chelsea despite promising end to season as Blues release brief statement after shock exit
Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea in a bombshell exit Credit: PA

It's been reported that Pochettino has been let go after an internal review conducted by co-sporting director's Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

The pair are said to have been reviewing the 2023/24 season performance and came to the conclusion that Pochettino's time in West London had to come to an end.

The sporting director duo thanked Pochettino for his time in a brief and unceremonious club statement.

It read: "On behalf of everyone at Chelsea, we would like to express our gratitude to Mauricio for his service this season.

"He will be welcome back to Stamford Bridge any time and we wish him all the very best in his future coaching career."

While Pochettino himself also commented on his time with the club, adding: "Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and Sporting Directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club's history.

"The Club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come."

Chelsea earned themselves a spot in in the Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup semi-finals this season, ultimately winning neither.

During Pochettino's short stint with the club he was backed to the tune of around £400m in transfer fees.

And despite a turbulent start to the season, he leaves the club having lost just one of his last 15 Premier League games in charge.

Pochettino becomes the third permanent coach to lose his job as Chelsea boss since the Blues began their new ownership era under the control of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Boehly's reign has seen over £1BILLION spent on new signings alone - he took over in May 2022.

Chelsea also announced that Jesus Perez, Miguel d’Agostino, Toni Jimenez and Sebastiano Pochettino - Poch's coaching staff - have also left the club.

The club confirmed they will be making no further comment until a new manager has been appointed.

It's believed that Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness, Girona’s Michel, Ipswich's Kieran McKenna and Leicester's Enzo Maresca are among the candidates to potentially be considered.