Mauricio Pochettino has broken his silence two weeks after parting ways with Chelsea on social media, confirming that he will return to Stamford Bridge in the very near future.
The Argentine guided Chelsea back to European competition in his first term in charge despite an up-and-down first half of the season, but left the club by mutual consent in May.
The Blues have since announced Enzo Maresca as their latest head coach, confirmation which will come on Monday.
Pochettino’s departure perhaps came as a surprise to many as the dressing room is believed to be very close to the former Tottenham manager after he achieved a sixth-place finish and just three defeats in 2024.
However, Chelsea clearly still hold a positive place in Pochettino’s heart judging by his moving message, in which he thanked the club’s fans and senior management for their support during his only season in charge.
Mauricio Pochettino has broken his silence after leaving Chelsea at the end of the season
The 56-year-old coach guided Chelsea to sixth place in the Premier League despite a shaky start to the campaign.
The former boss shared several snaps from his only year in charge at Stamford Bridge.
On his Instagram account, the former Blues coach wrote: “To the owners, to the sporting directors, we are grateful for the opportunity to return to the Premier League in this great club and for the support they gave us, as well as that of everyone. the players, staff and fans, thank you.
“We understand how important this football club is to all of you and that is why we work so hard to give you a Chelsea you can be proud of.”
“I am very pleased with the level the team has reached and the way the players and staff have worked so hard to improve their standards – they deserve huge credit and I hope you feel it too for your performance on the pitch.”
‘We know there have been ups and downs, but we always believed in this team and that we would reach a constant level.
“I think the experiences of this season and the great improvements we have seen will hopefully only strengthen the players for the future. It has been a pleasure to work with all of them and we appreciate the strong bonds we created together over this last year.
‘I want to wish everyone the best for next season and beyond.
“It’s fantastic that we have the opportunity to return to Stamford Bridge so soon with SoccerAid this weekend and I hope we can see some of you there too.
‘I hope you all have a great summer. A big hug from us, MP x.’
The Blues won the Europa League, but were relegated to the Conference League after Manchester United’s eighth place finish.
While results improved on the pitch at the end of the season, Pochettino was still subject to an internal review and the club’s hierarchy were thought to be displeased at the progress the team had made in 2023-24.
The review was carried out by co-owner Behdad Eghbali and sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart following their 2-1 win over Bournemouth on the final day of the campaign.
MORE TO FOLLOW.