Why Chelsea didn’t sign Pochettino as Tuchel’s replacement

Chelsea, under their new owner, Todd Boehly, decided against appointing former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager.

A report revealed the Blues were concerned about Pochettino’s ability to compete at the highest level.

Recall that Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel from his role as manager on Wednesday after their Champions League 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.

They, however, went on to sign former Brighton manager Graham Potter as Chelsea’s new manager on Thursday ahead of Pochettino, who was linked with a move to replace Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.

The Times reports that Boehly felt Pochettino lacked the ability to compete with the likes of Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.

Instead, the Blues owner went for Potter, who joined Chelsea from Brighton despite his lack of experience at the elite level of English or European football.

Pochettino, on the other hand, was sacked earlier this summer despite leading PSG to another French Ligue 1 title last season.