Mauricio Pochettino breaks silence after Enzo Maresca becomes new Chelsea manager
Mauricio Pochettino thanked the supporters on social media for their unwavering support during his tenure at Stamford Bridge and offered reflections on his departure from Chelsea.
After spending just one season with the Blues—during which he finished in sixth place in the Premier League standings—Pochettino departed the team a few weeks ago. Following an end-of-season evaluation with co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, as well as Behdad Eghbali, the two parties mutually agreed to part ways.
The Argentine, taking to Instagram on Tuesday, said: “To the owners, the sporting directors we appreciate the opportunity to return to the Premier League at this great club @Chelsea and for the support you gave us, as well as from all the players, staff and fans – thank you.
“We understand how important this football club is to you all and that is why we work so hard to give you a Chelsea you can be proud of. I am so pleased with the level the team reached and the way the players and staff have all worked so hard to increase their standards, they deserve great credit and I hope you felt that too in how they performed on the pitch.
“We know there have been ups and downs but we always believed in this team and that we would arrive at a consistent level. I believe the experiences of this season and big improvement we saw, I hope will only make the players stronger for the future. It has been a pleasure to work with them all and we appreciate the strong bonds we created in this last year together.
“I want to wish all of you the best for next season and beyond. It is great that we have the chance to return to Stamford Bridge so soon with @socceraid this weekend and I hope that we get to see some of you there too.
“I hope you all get to have a great summer. Big hug from us. MP x”.
Chelsea have now replaced Pochettino, with Enzo Maresca being confirmed as the new Blues head coach on Monday afternoon. The Italian has signed a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge after leaving Leicester City following a Championship-winning season at the King Power Stadium.