Mauricio Pochettino ’s Chelsea arrival has gone down like a lead balloon with Spurs fans with one supporter going as far as burning a copy of his book.
The Argentine was finally confirmed as the Blues’ new boss on Monday after a drawn-out process. He has put pen to paper on a two-year contract at Stamford Bridge with the option of a further year.
Pochettino’s arrival also sees him return to the Premier League for the first time since being sacked by Spurs. He had previously enjoyed a long and successful stint in North London but Tottenham fans have not taken too kindly to his return.
A tweet from a fan pictured Guillem Balague’s bestseller, ‘Brave New World’, that explored Pochettino’s time with Spurs, getting engulfed by flames on a barbecue. The picture was accompanied by the caption: “How’s this for a barbecue you f***ing turncoat?”
Ironically, the same account had previously hailed the book back in March. A prior tweet read: “Giving this bad boy another read. I’d lost my old copy and found that the new version has a section on the lead-up to the [ Champions League ] final. Bonus.”
The topic of Pochettino’s book has been discussed by former Spurs chairman Daniel Levy in the past. But he remained fairly tight-lipped when asked if the book coincided with Tottenham’s slump over recent years.
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He responded: “The answer is that we did know about it. It was his choice to do it, some people say it was a good thing, some people say it was a bad thing. But it was his choice and we clearly didn’t stop it.”
Pochettino certainly has a task on his hands to get his new employers back on track. Chelsea endured a rotten 2022/23 campaign as they finished in 12th.
It also represented their worst-ever points return in a campaign since 1988. Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, the club’s co-sporting directors, are under no illusions that Pochettino is the right man.
A statement from the pair amid his appointment read: “Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward. He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages. His ethos, tactical approach and commitment to development all made him the exceptional candidate.”
Pochettino will have the first opportunity to see his side in action in July with the Blues set to embark on a tour of the USA. They take on Wrexham, Brighton, Newcastle, Fulham and Borussia Dortmund before the Premier League season gets underway.
