Chelsea interim boss Bruno Saltor has opened up on the ‘sadness’ that will be palpable among the Blues’ squad following the sacking of Graham Potter.
The former Brighton head coach departed Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening following a hugely inconsistent seven months at the club. He was initially appointed as Thomas Tuchel ’s replacement but failed to inspire an upturn in fortunes.
Potter leaves Chelsea in 11th in the Premier League standings, whilst Todd Boehly launches a search for his successor. In the meantime, his former assistant Bruno is set to be in interim charge for Tuesday evening’s clash with Liverpool.
Asked about Potter’s exit, the Spaniard revealed that he had held talks with his former boss ahead of his pre-match press conference and detailed exactly how the squad would be feeling about the news.
"I just spoke to Graham five minutes ago," Bruno said to reporters. "Obviously it has been a difficult 24 hours for all of us, the staff and families and now we have to live with the situation."
"I've not seen the players yet, we have an afternoon session plan. We are all responsible and need to keep focused on tomorrow's game,” he added.
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"I've spoken to them [the owners], they have been supportive. I am focused on tomorrow's game. They [the players] will be sad because they know the level of human being Graham is."
He continued to open up on the situation at Stamford Bridge by detailing how tricky the circumstances have been to navigate. “It's been difficult at every single level,” Bruno said. “You have to deal with the press conference, the players, the relationship with Graham and Billy, how it effects their family. A really difficult 12 hours.”
Whilst Bruno has revealed how sad the squad will be following the departure of Potter, it appears some have had intriguing reactions to the news. Previous reports suggested that some members of the squad only found out about the departure of their manager via the club’s official statement on social media.
Meanwhile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Denis Zakaria appeared to make no secret of their thoughts on the situation. T he pair liked a post from Chelsea’s official Instagram account confirming Potter’s sacking.
As it stands, not a single player has come out publicly with any messages of support or thanks for Potter since his departure. In all, he oversaw 31 matches in all competitions during his reign as Chelsea boss but only managed to win 12 of those - seven successes coming in the Premier League.
Bruno will certainly be aiming to have a positive impact in West London ahead of Tuesday’s showdown against Liverpool. He said: “[We] see it as an opportunity for the players. It's about winning and preparation helps.”
