No holiday for Mauricio Pochettino after Chelsea exit, as Argentinian reveals next job
Mauricio Pochettino has already agreed his next role in football after his shock departure from Chelsea.
The Argentinian left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent on Tuesday after just a year in charge.
Pochettino guided Chelsea to sixth place and Europa League qualification, and ended the season with five straight wins, but an end-of-season review by the club determined that a new manager was needed.
He had stayed in London following his side’s final game of the season against Bournemouth, and notably didn’t participate in the traditional lap of honour for fans – but stated afterwards that the club’s press officer had required him to complete his media duties.
The 52-year-old will surely not be short of offers this summer as he plots a return to club – or even international – football.
But prior to his Chelsea departure, Pochettino had already agreed to reprise his role at Soccer Aid this year, where he will manage the Rest of the World side.
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Coincidentally, this year’s Soccer Aid match is taking place at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea legends Frank Lampard and Eden Hazard scheduled to play.
Last year’s Soccer Aid, which raises money for the charity UNICEF UK, saw Pochettino and his long-time assistant coach Jesus Perez, as well as Line of Duty actor Martin Compston, take charge of a Rest of the World side that featured the likes of Usain Bolt, Tommy Fury, Francesco Totti, Hernan Crespo and Robbie Keane.
Speaking last week, meanwhile, the Argentinian brought up his Soccer Aid commitments – and notably made no mention of Chelsea when discussing his summer plans.
He said: “There are too many things I need to deal with. We have the Soccer Aid game, I have different things to deal with, so I didn’t plan [a holiday].
“I need to go to Argentina to see my parents after five years, I need to go and see my son near Barcelona in Tarragona. Too many aspects I’m going to be busy. No real holidays.”
Possible reason Pochettino left Chelsea
On the back of Pochettino’s exit, it was claimed that one innocuous question earlier in the season may have opened up a major rift behind the scenes.
As reported by The Telegraph, Pochettino was asked about the importance of having a set-piece coach within the set-up back in February.
The Argentine replied: “We are a coaching staff in charge of everything. Football belongs to the players. Not to the specialists.”
However, Pochettino’s response was the complete opposite of what the hierarchy believed.
The report stated: “That was at odds with the structure being built by Chelsea’s owners and sporting directors, who have made it abundantly clear they believe football belongs to the players and the specialists.
“Some of those around Pochettino claimed that Chelsea’s difficulties at defending from set-pieces could be easily explained by a relative lack of height within the squad, which would point the finger at those who assembled it.”
To add to Pochettino’s woes, Chelsea lost the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool after Virgil van Dijk headed in from a corner deep into extra time.
After the final, it was reported that Pochettino and his bosses held a meeting and then Chelsea ‘were in the process of not only appointing a new set-piece specialist, but were setting up an entire department dedicated to corners and free-kicks’.
Ahead of the new season, it was reported that Chelsea have reached an agreement with Brentford for set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva to move to Stamford Bridge.
