Mauricio Pochettino has disclosed that the flow of supportive messages from the owners of Chelsea has ceased, and he is also in the dark about the support level from the club’s co-sporting directors.
The future of the Argentine at Stamford Bridge is hanging in the balance following a tough week, which saw his team defeated in the FA Cup semi-final by Manchester City and then suffer a heavy 5-0 defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday evening.
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With Chelsea languishing in ninth position in the Premier League standings, they are embroiled in a significant struggle to qualify for European competition next term.
Rumors are circulating that Pochettino’s role at the club might be reassessed at the end of the season, casting new doubts about his suitability for the long haul.
Adding to the prevailing uncertainty, Pochettino has admitted that his communication with Chelsea’s part-owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, has come to a halt.
While Boehly and Eghbali had previously reached out with words of encouragement during a challenging time in February, Pochettino now indicates that his interactions with the club’s upper management are limited to co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.
‘In the last few months we didn’t cross [paths] or message,’ revealed Pochettino ahead of another very difficult match on Saturday evening away to Aston Villa.
‘We communicated through the sporting directors but nothing has changed. We are not changing my view or my feeling, even though in the last few weeks we are not [exchanging] texts.’
Asked whether he still believes he has the support of Stewart & Winstanley at least, Pochettino said: ‘That’s a good question for them if you have the opportunity to ask them.
‘But it’s not a subjective idea of us [that we have problems] – it is the reality. Okay, that is a point: if we are [considered] responsible, we are responsible.
‘Maybe we are not responsible in this situation. I cannot answer the question because, to be honest, I don’t know what they are thinking.’
Pochettino feels a lot of factors are outside his control, adding: ‘My responsibility is that the team performs. But of course, the club is designing and planning a structure that you need to prove works. Because of the results, you can say it’s just [the manager].
‘But I don’t have the key to the club. I don’t make all the decisions here. That is to be made clear. If you say to me I have the key and this guy is here because it’s my decision, that is one thing.
‘But if this is not my decision you need to judge me and judge him in his job, no? Because it’s not my direct responsibility.’
