Mauricio Pochettino told Chelsea’s owners he would need to take a shower and put on a nice shirt to impress them in his first interview with them.
- Pochettino met with Chelsea owners
- First interview was over Zoom
- Coach said he needed a shower
WHAT HAPPENED? The new Chelsea head coach met with the club hierarchy over Zoom in his first interview ahead of taking on the job at Stamford Bridge. However, he was not sure who was trying to impress who and wanted to look the part to land the role.
WHAT THEY SAID: He told reporters in his first press conference as Blues boss: “First conversation with sporting directors, can I be transparent? A little. First meeting was by Zoom and I need to know if I need to convince you, or if you need to convince me. If I need to convince you, I need a shower and a nice shirt.
“It’s a nice conversation from the beginning. They showed me the plan, the good and not so good. I listened then and then spoke with the owners. They are clever people. I feel good. I am not a coach that needs to ask for power. I need to show to them to trust in me and that the players and the fans can trust in my decisions and the way we operate. They need to really believe, and that is my job. One challenge is that people trust my judgment. That is the biggest power you can have.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ex-Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain coach Pochettino has been tasked with rebuilding the Blues after their miserable 2022-23 campaign. They have already signed Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer and are working on the arrival of Moises Caicedo while they have sold Mason Mount to Manchester United.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA? The London club will soon begin their pre-season tour of the United States, beginning with a match against Wrexham.
