Chelsea Football Club has announced the sacking of Graham Potter as manager. Potter’s final match in charge was a 2-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa on Saturday, which left the club in 11th place in the Premier League table. Bruno Saltor will take over as interim head coach for Chelsea’s next match against Liverpool on Tuesday night. However, the club’s announcement suggests that Potter may play a role in selecting his permanent successor.
A statement from the club reads: “Chelsea FC has announced that Graham Potter has departed the club. Graham has agreed to collaborate with the club to facilitate a smooth transition. In his time with the club, Graham has taken us to the quarter-final of the Champions League, where we will face Real Madrid. Chelsea would like to thank Graham for all his efforts and contribution and wish him well for the future.”
Co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali also expressed their gratitude towards Potter for his contribution to the club. They said: “On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea. We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome. Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have ten Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter-final ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high.”
Potter took over as Chelsea manager in September 2022, succeeding Thomas Tuchel. The 47-year-old Englishman made an impressive start to his tenure, winning five of his first six matches and remaining unbeaten in his opening nine games in charge. However, poor results soon followed, causing Chelsea to slip down the Premier League table and suffer disappointing exits from both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup at the hands of Manchester City.
Potter’s finest hour as Chelsea boss came when his team beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League, overturning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg. Despite this, Potter will not be in charge when Chelsea travel to holders Real Madrid for the first leg of their quarter-final tie on April 12.
Potter’s departure from Chelsea marks the second time Boehly has sacked a manager since taking control of the club in May 2022. It remains to be seen who will take over as Chelsea’s permanent manager.