Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from Chelsea appears to have been influenced by an innocuous question asked earlier in the season.
Despite the team’s five consecutive wins at the end of the 23/24 Premier League campaign and their qualification for European football next season, Pochettino left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent.
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Now, Chelsea is on the hunt for a new manager, marking the third permanent managerial change since American businessman Todd Boehly acquired the club from Roman Abramovich two years ago.
Candidates like Roberto De Zerbi, Ruben Amorim, Kieran McKenna, and Thomas Tuchel have been linked to the vacant position.
The intriguing aspect is that this managerial shift may have been triggered by a seemingly harmless question posed to Pochettino about the importance of having a set-piece coach within the team’s setup back in February.
It’s fascinating how seemingly small details can have significant consequences in the world of football management.
The Argentine said: “We are a coaching staff in charge of everything. Football belongs to the players. Not to the specialists.”
But, 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.”
Adding to Pochettino’s troubles, Chelsea lost the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool, with Virgil van Dijk scoring a decisive header from a corner deep into extra time.
Following the final, reports emerged that Pochettino and Chelsea executives held a meeting and decided to not only appoint a new set-piece specialist but also establish an entire department dedicated to corners and free-kicks.
In preparation for the new season, it has been reported that Chelsea have reached an agreement with Brentford to bring set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva to Stamford Bridge.
