2026-05-02 11:30:56
Mauricio Pochettino never felt like he “belonged” at Chelsea.
The 54-year-old coach took over as manager in 2023 but left the Premier League side after just one season, which he admitted was entirely his own decision because he had “no interest” in staying longer.
Asked about his departure, he told FourFourTwo magazine: “I didn’t want to continue. That was my decision.
“I spoke with Chelsea, but my staff and I were clear about our position.
“We felt we didn’t belong to the club’s way of doing things.
“We helped stabilise Chelsea, but had no interest in staying.”
The USA coach felt Chelsea were “broken” when he first arrived at the club and he was keen to stop their “negative momentum” and improve confidence in the players.
He reflected: “Chelsea were broken when I arrived. There were young players making their debuts that season, and there had been many defeats at Stamford Bridge. The momentum was negative.
“The aim was to stop the slide, start building again, restore belief and give the players the chance to perform.
“We ended that season by winning five straight league games and finished in sixth – if we’d had one more month, we would have qualified for the Champions League.”
Pochettino is keen to return to Premier League management in the future.
Asked what else he wants to achieve, he said: “Right now it’s about enjoying the World Cup.
“After that, I’ve always said I came so close to winning the Premier League and Champions League and want to try again.
“I’d like to be part of a project with the ambition of winning both.”
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