Mauricio Pochettino denied accusations of ignoring Todd Boehly after Chelsea’s Carabao Cup final loss at Wembley.
Liverpool clinched victory on Sunday with a 118th-minute goal by Virgil van Dijk, preventing Pochettino from securing his first English football trophy.
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It would have been Chelsea’s first piece of silverware since Boehly acquired the club in 2022, offering a significant morale boost given the turbulent nature of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
As Pochettino approached to receive his runners-up medal, he passed by officials and dignitaries, including a visibly embarrassed Boehly, seemingly disregarding the owner and chairman.
This incident surfaces amidst speculation of Pochettino facing dismissal by the end of the season, with the team currently positioned 11th in the Premier League and the FA Cup as the sole remaining trophy opportunity.
Securing the cup could also serve as Chelsea’s pathway to European qualification, with a challenging fifth-round match against traditional rivals Leeds United scheduled for Wednesday night.
But speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Pochettino said there was no rift between him and the owners, saying: ‘Yes [I feel the support of the board].
‘After the game, Todd sent a really nice message. ‘We were talking and I said hello when I saw them in the stadium. I met Behdad [Eghbali, co-owner] after and we were talking, we were talking.
‘We were sharing the opinion of the game, we were talking about the opportunity we missed to win a trophy because we played really well in 90 minutes. We were not clinical enough.
‘Of course we are so disappointed, Chelsea is about to win. Liverpool spent four years, [Jurgen] Klopp didn’t win a title but got the support from the club. Now they are getting what they deserve because of that.
‘For us, after seven or eight months, to get to the final is a massive achievement in this project.’
Asked whether the owners would give him the same amount of time as Klopp at Liverpool or Guardiola at City, Pochettino replied: ‘It’s not in my hands.
‘We have a very good relationship with the owners and sporting directors. It’s about trust. It’s not the coach’s decision.’
‘We are in a good way, in the moment, in the process, that is normal to be. Then you can call “successful”, no? Being in a final and losing? Maybe you can say it’s disastrous, good or not good. That depends on how you judge.’
