Mauricio Pochettino has vowed to put Chelsea back on the road to silverware after admitting that it is a very different club to the one he came up against during his time in charge of Tottenham.
The head coach, 51, arrived at Cobham yesterday to start a two-year contract in which he will aim to make the Blues Premier League contenders again following a miserable last season in which they finished 12th.
And it will not be easy as he inherits a squad packed with young talent butlacking in experience following almost £700m of investment in just over 12 months.
On the flip side half a dozen stars, including midfielders N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic, have already moved on this summer and academy darling Mason Mount is set to seal a £50m switch to Manchester United.
But Poch said there was little hesitation in accepting the offer to take over at Stamford Bridge. “It was easy for us to take the decision to move here,” the former Spurs boss said. “We’re really excited. We’re so happy that we can start here.
“It’s exciting for us and of course what we want is to give and bring the happiness again to this great football club by working hard and playing in the way fans can enjoy the football.”
The Argentine said he will be leaning into the club’s history despite being aware of their current position and considers it crucial that his team wins in the right style.
“The history of Chelsea is to win but it’s important also the way we bring those victories," he added. “It’s a culture of winning. The last 10, 12, 15 years, Chelsea has been the greatest team in England. That we know very well. I know very well the Premier League and the culture of Chelsea.
“The fans are excited to be back on the road of trying to win. For us it’s exciting to work with a very young team. It’s a different approach to the past, of course, but we all need to understand that we need to work very hard, in a very good atmosphere on the training ground, to build the success for the team in the next few years.”
Pochettino and his backroom staff, including right-hand man Jesus Perez, will begin welcoming players into training over the next week before heading to the United States for a five-game pre-season tour on July 17.
And he stressed that the club's long-term vision was spelled out clearly by chairman Todd Boehly and his business partners.
"From the beginning the owners were very clear about the project," Pochettino added. "We were very excited also to show them we are here to try and help the club and fans. The most important thing in football is for them to be happy and proud of how we approach games.
"The players need to know that. There will be ups and downs in football but we need to be sure we are going to bring the things the club needs to be at the top because the history of the club is to be at the top."
And while their transformation is unlikely to happen overnight, Pochettino added: “Together we can achieve everything, you cannot put a limit.”
