STUNNED Chelsea stars have flooded in with tributes to Mauricio Pochettino after it was revealed he has left the club.
Blues fans were shocked when it emerged on Tuesday that Pochettino had agreed to depart Stamford Bridge by mutual consent following an end-of-season review meeting with Blues chiefs.
Even Chelsea’s stars were taken aback, with many only finding out on social media that the boss was gone.
Noni Madueke was the first to comment, posting a snap of Pochettino with his arm around him alongside the caption: “Thank you.”
Marc Cucurella was next up, adding: “Thanks for everything, Mister. Good luck in the future.”
While Blues player of the season Cole Palmer wrote on Instagram: “Gaffer, thank you for everything you have done for me and making my dreams come true. All the best.”
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Pochettino has received huge plaudits for getting the best out of Palmer.
The England star finished the season on an incredible 22 league goals and helped fire Chelsea above the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle into a Europa League spot, despite a poor start to the season.
But that wasn’t enough to keep Poch in a job as his departure was announced just two days after the final game of the season against Bournemouth.
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Pochettino had been called to the training ground for crunch talks on the day after that game against the Cherries, which saw Chelsea get their fifth win in a row.
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He supposedly spoke to sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, as well as co-owner Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.
Pochettino’s Chelsea record
MAURICIO POCHETTINO had just started to turn Chelsea around.
An impressive run of end-of-season form saw the Blues leapfrog the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle to finish sixth in the Premier League – and earn a Europa League spot.
But it wasn’t enough to keep him in a job as it was announced on Tuesday evening that the Argentine had left.
Here are all Pochettino’s Stamford Bridge stats:
Premier League – 6th
FA Cup – Semi-finals (lost to Man City)
Carabao Cup – Runners-up (Lost to Liverpool)
Total record:
Games 51
Wins 26
Draws 11
Defeats 14
Goals for 103
Goals against 74
By the end of the day, a mutual decision was made that he would resign after just one season in charge.
A tough start to life at Stamford Bridge saw Chelsea spend much of the season in mid-table and lose the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool.
But after better form in the latter stages of the term, Pochettino guided the club to a sixth-placed finish.
Soon after the bombshell news was revealed, Chelsea players wrote touching tributes to their boss on social media.
The messages to Poch come as no surprise as SunSport can reveal that some players are said to be “devastated” regarding his exit.
And like fans, the squad only found out the shock news via social media tonight.
Even some directors were left in disbelief over the sudden announcement.
Pochettino is in line for an immediate return to management at Manchester United should Erik ten Hag be axed.
Who could be the next Chelsea manager?
HERE are the seven names in the running to replace Mauricio Pochettino after his shock exit from Chelsea.
Roberto De Zerbi
The Italian left Brighton at the end of the season after a year and a half in charge. He was linked with a host of top jobs earlier in the campaign but a difficult run of results saw him fall out of contention for the likes of Liverpool. De Zerbi’s attacking, front-foot style would be popular at Stamford Bridge.
Kieran McKenna
The former Manchester United assistant has led Ipswich to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League. That has seen his stock shoot through the roof and he may be tempted to jump ship for a big job.
Enzo Maresca
Maresca was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City and has worked wonders at Leicester, settling the ship to send the Foxes back to the Premier League at the first attempt. Appointing a Pep disciple has turned Arsenal into title contenders, so it could work for Chelsea too.
Hansi Flick
Flick was one of football’s most in-demand managers after winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich. But it all went wrong in his next role becoming the first manager ever to be sacked by Germany. Now he’s ready to return and could be a smart move for the Blues
Sebastian Hoeness
Chelsea fans may not have heard of him, but Hoeness is Germany’s next big thing. Hoeness has transformed Stuttgart from relegation candidates to the second best team in the Bundesliga, finishing above Bayern Munich. Only invincible Bayer Leverkusen got in the way of a miracle.
Michel
Michel Sanchez has worked wonders with little Girona in Spain. The minnows were right in the LaLiga title race at Christmas before watching Real Madrid shoot into the distance. But they ran illustrious Catalan neighbours Barcelona all the way for second and are guaranteed a spot on the Champions League. Reports in Spain say that has caught Chelsea’s attention.
Jose Mourinho
Still adored by fans at Stamford Bridge, who never warmed to former Spurs boss Pochettino, Mourinho would be a popular pick. Winner of three Premier League with the Blues across two topsy-turvy spells, could he be the man to take Chelsea back to the top?
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
