Graham Potter’s position at Chelsea is currently in jeopardy as he faces increasing pressure. The team has suffered nine losses out of 25 games, including eight defeats in the last 14.
This puts Todd Boehly in a difficult position, as he must make another important decision just nine months after his £4.25bn takeover of the club.
Many Chelsea fans believe that Roman Abramovich would have already fired the 47-year-old coach, but this belief may not hold true under Boehly. The US billionaire has shown a different approach and is not necessarily swayed by the same theories.
According to information obtained by football.london, it seems that the owners at SW6 still support Graham Potter, despite the team’s recent struggles. This is evidenced by the fact that they spent £20 million to recruit him from Brighton & Hove Albion and an additional £300 million on eight new players in January.
Despite having been handed a five-year contract just six months ago, Graham Potter’s position as head coach of Chelsea seems to be more in jeopardy than ever. This was further highlighted by the fans’ reaction during Saturday’s game against Southampton, where the majority of the 40,000 at Stamford Bridge expressed their frustration with Potter.
However, there is still strong financial support for Potter from Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. As mentioned earlier, almost 10 new players have been added to the squad at Cobham, and there are still several first-team members who are currently out injured.
Despite the ongoing support for Graham Potter, there has been increasing speculation about some of Europe’s top coaches being linked to the Chelsea job. According to oddschecker, Mauricio Pochettino is the current favorite to take over as manager, followed closely by former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.
Other popular choices among the Chelsea fanbase, Thomas Tuchel and Jose Mourinho, have also been rumored to be returning to the club. Other names that have been mentioned include Luis Enrique, Diego Simeone, and Brendan Rodgers.
However, SportsDias has gathered information on what some of these favorites have said about their future plans.
Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino has been unemployed since the summer after departing Paris Saint-Germain. He has been associated with a return to the Premier League for some time, with many predicting that he will replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Man United.
Although some fans have dismissed the idea of Pochettino joining Chelsea due to his ties to Spurs, the Argentine has acknowledged that the situation is more complicated than that.
Speaking during his final months at Tottenham, he said: “I am so clear. I am never going to be manager of Barcelona or Arsenal because I am so identified with Tottenham and Espanyol. It’s not down to me. Always I work like I want to be here for the rest of my life. That is my responsibility, how I take my job.
“The way I work is like thinking I’m going to stay forever in the same club. It’s the best way to commit to your job. But I am realistic and today you look in England from the beginning of the season and today in six, seven months, there are many changes on the Premier League benches.
“Then it’s not only you. It’s about the results, the ideas, it’s the chairman, he can change, the chairman and say ‘come on, out’.”
After being regularly linked with the Man United job in the past, Pochettino has highlighted the importance of timing for his new role. Speaking with Radio Marca (via the Daily Mail), he said: “Football is timing. It’s the moments for it to coincide and for that marriage to happen. Sometimes it’s just a matter of timing. I don’t believe that trains pass just once.”
Zinedine Zidane
Zidane, a former French midfielder, has been linked with top coaching positions throughout Europe since finishing his second term at Bernabeu. There were rumors that he was close to taking over the France national team, but Didier Deschamps remained in charge after leading the team to another World Cup final.
With his contract at Real Madrid expiring, Zidane is available for a new role, and he is an attractive candidate for Boehly due to his impressive record, including three consecutive Champions League titles.
In an interview with Telefoot, Zidane expressed his desire to return to coaching. “Am I still able to contribute things as a coach? Yes, many things, or I think at least some!
“I want to continue with that career because I still have the desire – it is my passion. I am 50 years old, fulfilled, I’m happy, that’s the most important thing.”
Zidane was also on queue to discuss his future at the Alpine F1 car launch earlier this month. He said: “Now I have time, but I don’t know for how long. I know I want to coach again, maybe I will have time until June, but things can go very fast — for sure, to resume coaching remains my desire.”
Jose Mourinho
Mourinho, a popular figure among fans, has enjoyed success at Chelsea on multiple occasions. The Daily Mail reports that the Portuguese coach is interested in a return to the Premier League after a challenging transfer window at his current club, Roma.
Although his previous stint at Chelsea was some time ago, Mourinho’s drive for success has resulted in him winning trophies at every club he has managed – with the exception of Tottenham.
“If you ask me do I have somebody that I would love to take over from ‘my Chelsea’ let’s say that, yes, but I have but I close my mouth,” he cryptically told Sky Sports.
“The club reached such a level that it doesn’t matter who it’s with but Chelsea will always be Chelsea. Chelsea will always be big and my house will always be 200 metres away from the stadium so I want to keep listening to the sound of happiness and success. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be like that.”
Thomas Tuchel
It appears highly improbable that Tuchel will return to Chelsea, particularly as Boehly parted ways with him after conducting a 100-day evaluation. However, fans have previously expressed their desire for his return by chanting ‘Super Thomas Tuchel.’
Tuchel is a highly sought-after coach, and PSG is reportedly contemplating bringing him back due to growing dissatisfaction with recent performances under Christoph Galtier, according to the Evening Standard.
Speaking to Indian outlet Sport Star in October, Tuchel said: “I loved every day at Chelsea. It came to an end too early for me, but it was out of my hands. This is also what you sign up for.”
Asked about his future, he continued: “I haven’t made a decision yet.
“It is now time for me to take a break. Some clubs have been calling my manager but we agreed that he would not call me here for these past 18 days.”
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