Potter’s dismissal comes the day after the London club lost 2-0 at home to Aston Villa, which made it languishing in eleventh place in the Premier League standings.
Chelsea Football Club announced on Sunday the dismissal of its coach, Graham Potter, less than seven months after he took over the job, succeeding German Thomas Tuchel.
Potter’s dismissal comes the day after the London club lost 2-0 to Aston Villa, which left it languishing in eleventh place in the Premier League standings.
“Chelsea announces that Graham Potter has left the club,” the club said in a statement, revealing that his Spanish assistant Bruno Saltor will take over the task of leading the team temporarily.
He continued, “Chelsea would like to thank Graham for all his efforts and contribution and wishes him good luck for the future,” revealing that his Spanish assistant Bruno Saltor will take over the task of leading the team temporarily.
The 47-year-old took over the job in September, succeeding Tuchel, after spending three successful years with Brighton.
In contrast to his suffering in the domestic league, in which he has so far suffered 10 defeats with 8 draws in 28 games, Chelsea succeeded in reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League competition, where he will meet Real Madrid, the defending champion, after 10 days in the first leg.
Potter seemed aware of the difficulty of his situation after Saturday’s loss to Aston Villa, saying, “I don’t like to blame anyone, I have to take responsibility.”
“We can feel the pain of the fans… I understand that when you lose in your stadium, the emotions in the match make people feel disappointed, frustrated and angry,” he continued, in response to the boos that some of the Chelsea fans launched against him.
And he admitted that, “In the position we are currently in in the league standings, no one is happy. I have to accept any criticism.”
In a joint statement, the club’s owners, Todd Boyle and Behdad Iqbali, bid farewell to the coach, saying, “We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always acted with professionalism and integrity, and we are all disappointed as a result of our arrival here.”
“Together with our fantastic fans, we will all be behind Bruno (Saltor) and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have 10 remaining Premier League matches and the Champions League quarter-finals ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into each and every one of those games so that we can win.” Finishing the season on a high.
