Chelsea hired Mauricio Pochettino as manager on Monday, tasking the Argentine coach with getting the best out of an expensively assembled squad that has underperformed at the start of a new era for the English club.
Pochettino will take up the role on July 1, Chelsea said, after agreeing to a two-year contract, with the club having the option of keeping him on for a further year.
It is Pochettino바카라s first coaching role since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in July last year and marks his return to the Premier League, where he had an impressive 5 1/2-year spell with Tottenham that included a run to the Champions League final.
Pochettino had been widely expected to take the Chelsea job, which is considered one of the most high-profile positions in European football.
He is the permanent successor to Graham Potter, who was fired in March after nearly seven months in charge. Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has led the team on an interim basis since then and it finished the Premier League in 12th place 바카라 in the bottom half for the first time since the 1995-96 season.
That was despite Chelsea spending around $630 million over the last two transfer windows as the club바카라s new American ownership 바카라 led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital 바카라 made a whirlwind start to their reign.
The unprecedented heavy spending hasn바카라t immediately translated into success, though, with Chelsea amassing its lowest number of points 바카라 44 바카라 during the Premier League era.
Pochettino has been linked with some of the biggest clubs in European football since leaving Tottenham in 2019, including Manchester United and Real Madrid.
He won the French title with PSG, but left last year and has been out of work until now.
바카라Mauricio바카라s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea well as we move forward,바카라 Chelsea sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said in a statement. 바카라He 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.바카라
Chelsea described Pochettino as a coach who is 바카라renowned for his sides바카라 high-energy and eye-catching style.
바카라He has built a reputation for helping young players realize their full potential within a strong squad ethos,바카라 the club said.
Lampard used his final news conference as interim manager 바카라 after the 1-1 draw with Newcastle on Sunday 바카라 to speak bluntly about what Pochettino can expect upon taking over.
Lampard said he saw immediately after taking charge that 바카라standards collectively have dropped.바카라
바카라We are not physically competitive enough 바카라 that바카라s a strong opinion I have,바카라 Lampard said. 바카라Also, we바카라ll have the capability now to get the squad in the place he wants it to be. That바카라s going to be some work as well.
바카라The squad has been too big and that the biggest challenge I have found day to day is coming in and trying to work with big numbers and players who, for whatever reason, are disillusioned that they are not playing or they might be leaving. Those situations can be sorted out now 바카라 and they need to be.바카라
While Pochettino coached some of the world바카라s most high-profile players in Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at PSG, he바카라ll have a less celebrated squad at Chelsea that is nevertheless full of talent and mostly young, such as Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, wingers Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke, and defender Wesley Fofana.
They are among those players who joined for massive fees and on long-term deals over the past year but have lost their way amid a turbulent season at the club.
Chelsea바카라s appointment of Pochettino, meanwhile, will be a tough one to take for many Tottenham fans, who still idolize the former Argentina defender for briefly turning their team into one of the best in Europe.
Tottenham is currently without a permanent manager following the departure of Antonio Conte, and the outside possibility of a sentimental return for Pochettino has now been dashed.
