Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl believes Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is making a 'very good choice' in choosing to replace Thomas Tuchel with soon-to-be successor Graham Potter.
The last 24 hours have been crazy in the life of a Blues supporter. From finding out unexpectedly in the morning, the night after a torrid experience in the Champions League, that the much beloved Tuchel was gone to suddenly then recognising that the Potter plan has been going on behind the scenes for some time, Chelsea are never just a simple and dull club.
football.london understands that it was during pre-season when the cracks started to show between Tuchel and Boehly. Since then, more has happened behind the scenes to the point where the ownership group had enough and believed a few days out from a big game against Fulham that the time for change was now.
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A statement from the Club reads: "Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with head coach Thomas Tuchel. "On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the Club would like to place on record its gratitude to Thomas and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club. Thomas will rightly have a place in Chelsea's history after winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his time here.
"As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition.
"Chelsea’s coaching staff will take charge of the team for training and the preparation of our upcoming matches as the Club moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach.
"There will be no further comment until a new head coach appointment is made."
Since this statement, acceleration has been made in the managerial pursuit, with Potter the obvious first choice in Boehly's mind from the get-go despite Mauricio Pochettino's potential. The former Swansea and Ostersunds manager is set to sign a five-year contract with the Blues and bring key staff over from Sussex to SW6 to try and help reinvent the image of Chelsea.
It's an appointment that has now been praised by fellow Premier League comrade Hasenhuttl, who, like Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, is excited to see the development of the west Londoners in the next few years.
"I must congratulate them for a very good choice," said the Austrian via Hampshire Live. "For me, he [Potter] is the manager in the last two years with the biggest impact in a club with all the limits they had. With all the transfers they gave away to other clubs, they're still competing at the highest level. It shows how good this group is.
"I was speaking with Pascal Gross, who plays there, and we were speaking very often about the development of the club. You think he [Potter] did a fantastic job with this group. He has all the experience. I think to step into a bigger club and show there that he can perform at the highest level.
"It's a clear signal that there are good English managers out there that can work at the highest level. He wasn't always working in England, either. He also went to foreign countries to get experience. He was not too full of ego and only stayed here. He was looking for other options to learn and develop his knowledge. This is a very good way of doing it and a way of developing your knowledge in football."
He then added on Tuchel: In football, things change quickly. It's nothing new. Everybody has seen what a fantastic manager he [Tuchel] is and what a fantastic job he did. He had a big impact coming in with his group and staff. They played fantastic football.
"Sometimes in business, things change quickly and when a club decides someone else can get more out of the group than you do, then changes happen. We all know this when we sign a contract somewhere that in some moments, the next one can be out the door."
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