Eleventh in the Premier League, off the hook 12 points from the Champions League places, Chelsea have decided to dismiss Graham Potter as manager of the London club. The defeat at Stamford Bridge against Aston Villa this Saturday (0-2) has been the trigger for the change of coach. Ten days after visiting Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in the Champions League quarterfinals, the blues place the Catalan Bruno Saltor at the head of the team on an interim basis.
The patience of the new owner of the London club, Todd Boehly, has said enough. Even given the proximity of the important crossing in Europe, it has not been enough to keep Potter, who had four more years on his contract, in office.
Chelsea have spent 600 million euros on transfers in the last two market windows but the arrival of Enzo Fernández, Mudryk, João Félix, Cucurella, Aubameyang, Koulibaly or Sterling have not finished giving results. Now the lurches and instability also come to the bench with Potter’s goodbye.
Bruno Saltor, who was on Potter’s coaching staff as an assistant, takes charge of the team on an interim basis. Born in El Masnou 42 years ago, he played as a footballer for Espanyol, NÃ stic, Lleida, AlmerÃa, Valencia and Brighton, where he retired in 2019, Saltor lacks experience as a first coach.
“We will all support Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have 10 Premier League games left and a few Champions League quarterfinals ahead,” says the official statement.
Chelsea is debating for the future between Luis Enrique, former Spanish coach and Barcelona coach, and the German Julian Nagelsmann, who was recently released after being relieved at Bayern. At 52, the Asturian, who won a Champions League, two Spanish Leagues and three Cups in three courses with Barça, is seduced by the idea of ​​​​training the Premier.
It should not be forgotten that Potter was not the manager who started the season at Chelsea. Thomas Tuchel, the coach who in 2021 gave the club its second Champions League, lasted seven games this season. He was sacked in early September after losing to Dinamo Zagreb.
It was then that Potter arrived, endorsed by his good work at Brighton. However, the English manager has only been able to win 12 of the 31 games in which he has sat on the Chelsea bench. A disappointing baggage.
