Despite talks centred on the summer transfer window between Mauricio Pochettino and the Chelsea board, he  left his job Tuesday evening by mutual consent.

 

The 52-year-old coach guided the Blues to sixth place in the just concluded season and they are guaranteed to play in European club competition next season.

 

He took charge of Chelsea on 1 July 2023, signing a two-year contract with the option of a further year but Tuesday’s shocking news came out of the blues when it seemed the club were going to back him in the summer transfer window.

 

Pochettino was under pressure for most of the season to deliver qualification to European football and was once quoted at his press conference as saying that a sack will ‘not be the end of the world’.

 

“Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and sporting directors for the opportunity,” Pochettino said on Tuesday.

 

“The club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come.”

 

Pochettino was Chelsea’s sixth permanent manager in five years, following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, which led to Frank Lampard taking charge temporarily at the end of the 2022-23 season.

 

“On behalf of everyone at Chelsea, we would like to express our gratitude to Mauricio for his service this season,” sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said in a club statement.

 

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

 

Coaches Jesus Perez, Miguel d’Agostino, Toni Jimenez and Sebastiano Pochettino have also left.

 

The club noted that it will be making no further comment until such time as a new Head Coach is appointed.