Graham Potter handed Chelsea job after Thomas Tuchel sacking
Graham Potter handed Chelsea job after Thomas Tuchel sacking: After firing Thomas Tuchel six games into the Premier League season, Chelsea announced Graham Potter as their new manager on Thursday, less than 24 hours later.
Potter, 47, has signed a five-year contract with Brighton & Hove Albion, the six-time English champions, due to his stellar reputation as a visionary coach.
His hiring is surprising for a team that often goes for well-known figures with experience at European powerhouses, but it certainly signals a shift in strategy. It’s the first top-level hire made by new American chairman Todd Boehly, who oversaw a takeover three months ago.
We are very excited to have Graham join Chelsea. Boehly said of the new manager, “He is a proven coach and an innovator in the Premier League who fits our goal for the Club.”
Declarations
Besides his obvious on-field brilliance, “he has qualities and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch” that will help make Chelsea even more successful.
We plan to help him, his coaching staff, and the team reach their full potential in the next months and years. Chelsea and Tuchel split ways on Wednesday after the club’s shocking loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. Tuchel had won the title for Chelsea just a few months after replacing Frank Lampard at the beginning of 2021.
With losses against Leeds and Southampton, Chelsea is in sixth place in the Premier League with 10 points after six games despite spending almost 250 million pounds ($287 million) on new players.
The swiftness with which Chelsea hired Potter to replace Tuchel implies they had their eye on the man who helped elevate Swedish club Ostersund from the fourth division to the top level for the first time and into Europe. Billy Reid, Potter’s assistant, as well as Bjorn Hamberg, Bruno, Ben Roberts, and Kyle Macaulay, assistant head of recruiting, will join Potter at Chelsea.
Statements
On Saturday, his team will make its maiden appearance in a match against a local rival, Fulham. Potter, who coached briefly for Swansea City before taking over at Brighton in 2019, stated, “I am immensely happy and excited to serve Chelsea FC, this magnificent football club.”
I’m looking forward to meeting Chelsea’s talented set of players and working with them to build a team and culture that the club’s devoted fan base can be proud of. And I’m thrilled to be working with the new ownership group.
Despite losing wingback Marc Cucurella to Chelsea in the offseason and lacking the financial resources of the league’s heavy hitters, Brighton has had a fantastic start to the season, currently in the fourth position with a record of four wins, one draw, and one loss in six games. After previously finishing 15th and 16th, Brighton set a new club record last season by finishing ninth in the Premier League.
Flexible style
Many coaches, including Pep Guardiola and Juergen Klopp, have taken notice of Potter’s adaptable playing style, novel teaching methods, and meticulous attention to detail at Brighton.
He was not hesitant to put his Ostersund players in uncomfortable situations, like when he had them perform the ballet Swan Lake. The FA even considered Potter a possible replacement for current England manager Gareth Southgate. A year ago, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said of Potter, “He certainly has a clear notion about football, and he is doing a wonderful job.”
He’s brought a distinct style to the way he coaches his teams to play. He’s a risk-taker and an innovator. His dismissal, along with that of his coaching staff, is a major setback for Brighton, who have now announced that under-21 coach Andrew Crofts will be in charge of Saturday’s game against Bournemouth.
Remark
Brighton chairman Tony Bloom remarked, “I am really disappointed that Graham will be leaving us.” For the past three and a half years, he has been a model of excellence as a head coach and a human being, and this praise has only grown with time. Our football team will miss him terribly.
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