Chelsea

Mauricio Pochettino is heading to the Premier League.

Pochettino has agreed to a deal to become the next head coach of Chelsea FC, according to insider Fabrizio Romano. Details of the pact are expected to be finalized in the coming days, and the Argentine is expected to start his new role this summer, per The Athletic's David Ornstein.

Chelsea had been searching for a new head coach since firing Graham Potter last month. Former Blues midfielder Frank Lampard has been coaching the club on an interim basis since.

Chelsea has been one of the most disappointing clubs in the Premier League this season, sitting 11th in the table with a 11-10-14 record and 43 points. The Blues were also eliminated in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal by Real Madrid.

It's been an especially tough season for the Blues after finishing the 2021-22 season third in the Premier League with a 21-11-6 record. They also won the 2021 UEFA Super Cup and 2021 FIFA Club World Cup.

Pochettino has not coached since leaving his role with Ligue 1 side Paris-Saint Germain in July 2022. He helped the Parisians capture the Coupe de France in 2021 and the Ligue 1 title in 2022.

This will mark Pochettino's third stint in the Premier League. He previously coached Southampton from 2013-14, going 23-18-19, and Tottenham from 2014-2019, going 159-62-72. He accumulated a 55-15-14 record with Paris Saint-Germain.

The 51-year-old will be Chelsea's third permanent manager since Todd Boehly-Clearlake capital purchased the club last year. He beat out Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann for the position.

Chelsea have three games remaining after posting a draw with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Chelsea's Champions League run crashed and burned in the quarterfinal round after falling 4-0 on aggregate to Real Madrid after Tuesday's 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge.

Rodrygo scored in the 58th and 80th minutes for the 2-0 victory.

This match looked far better on paper for Chelsea than the first leg last Wednesday, when the Blues lost 2-0 and were outshot and outplayed before they were down a man for the final third after Ben Chilwell got sent off for a straight red card.

Chelsea had 19 shots (six on goal) compared to seven (three on goal) the first time around. The Blues also had eight corner kicks and possessed the ball 54 percent of the time.

But none of that led to a goal as Chelsea's run of poor form in Premier and Champions Leagues continued. Chelsea has gone winless in its last seven matches, scoring just three goals in that span.

This was undoubtedly a painful blow for Chelsea, and Twitter turned its eye toward interim manager Frank Lampard and the legendary midfielder's lineup, tactics and decision-making.

Specifically, fans wondered why Lampard, who managed the club for 84 matches from 2019 to 2021, didn't opt for a lineup more likely to score goals with the team down 2-0 following the first leg.

Chelsea is now out of the Champions League this year, and the Blues surely won't find themselves there next year with the team currently 11th in the Premier League table and 17 points behind fourth-place Newcastle United with seven matches remaining.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly's 3-0 victory prediction for his team did not come to fruition Wednesday as Real Madrid dominated from start to finish en route to a 2-0 win over the Blues in Champions League quarterfinal action at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Karim Benzema scored the game-winning goal in the 21st minute, and substitute Marco Asensio added a 74th-minute tally.

This was a nightmarish match for Chelsea, which endured a five-minute stretch early in the second half in which Kalidou Koulibaly left with an injury and Ben Chilwell was sent off.

Real Madrid outshot Chelsea 18-7 (10-3 shots on goal). The defending Champions League winners also possessed the ball 57 percent of the time.

At this juncture, Chelsea would sign up for Boehly's first-leg prediction when it hosts Real Madrid on Tuesday. But for now, he missed the mark.

Naturally, Twitter had a field day with the prediction.

With the loss, Chelsea's run of disastrous form continued. The Blues failed to score for the fourth straight match, something they hadn't done since December 1993.

The second leg of the UCL matchup will go down at 3 p.m. ET Tuesday from Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea is reportedly considering bringing back Carlo Ancelotti for a second stint as the club's manager if the Italian leaves Real Madrid at the end of the 2022-23 season.

According to ESPN's Mark Ogden, Chelsea is lining up as many as seven candidates for the managerial position after firing Graham Potter last week and replacing him with Frank Lampard on an interim basis.

Ancelotti's future at Real Madrid is reportedly in question, and he could become available if Real Madrid fails to win the UEFA Champions League title.

Ancelotti managed Real Madrid from 2013 to 2015 before leaving for runs at Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton. He returned to Real Madrid in 2021, and Los Blancos have enjoyed major successes under his guidance, including winning the 2021-22 La Liga title and UEFA Champions League title.

Real Madrid has dropped off slightly this season, as it is in second place in La Liga behind a Barcelona club that has gone a remarkable 23-2-2.

Even so, Real Madrid has reached the knockout stage of the Champions League this season and is fittingly set to face Chelsea in the quarterfinals, with the first leg taking place Wednesday.

Ancelotti's first stint at Chelsea ran from 2009 to 2011, and it came on the heels of the Italian manager leading AC Milan from 2001 to 2009.

With Ancelotti at the helm, Chelsea won the English Premier League and FA Cup in 2010, although a Champions League title eluded them.

Chelsea has long been among the dominant forces of English football, but the Blues have not won a domestic league title since 2017. They did win the Champions League in 2021, but they are still left searching for answers at the EPL level.

Since last winning the EPL, Chelsea has finished inside the top five in the EPL five years in a row but never better than third. Chelsea is trending toward its worst finish in years this season, though, sitting in 11th with just 39 points.

While Ancelotti typically doesn't stay long when he is hired at a club, he has proved capable of turning things around quickly, which would perhaps make him a perfect fit at Chelsea if he becomes available.

Per Ogden, Chelsea is also considering Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique and Mauricio Pochettino for the managerial vacancy should it not have the opportunity to pursue Ancelotti.

Frank Lampard and Chelsea can't quit one another.

The former Blues player and manager has returned to the club as an interim head coach until the end of the season following Graham Potter's sacking,

David Ornstein of The Athletic first reported the news.

Lampard, 44, was a legend as a Chelsea midfielder. His managerial career has been less decorated, however.

His first season as a manager came at Derby County in the Championship during the 2018-19 season, and he led the club to a sixth-place finish and a spot in the playoffs. Derby County reached the playoff final but lost to Aston Villa, 2-1.

But that strong season earned the attention of Chelsea, and he was hired as manager ahead of the 2019-20 season. He led the Blues to a fourth-place finish and a berth in the FA Cup final, losing to Arsenal.

The 2020-21 season saw things unravel, however, and Lampard was sacked in January 2021 after a run of just two wins in eight Premier League matches.

He then was hired by Everton in Jan. 2022 with the Toffees in danger of being relegated, and he managed to keep the club in the Premier League after a dramatic 3-2 win against Crystal Palace in the penultimate game of the season after Everton had trailed 2-0 at the half.

But just one win from 11 matches toward the middle of the 2022-23 season ended Lampard's time in charge this January. Now he's circling back to Chelsea, albeit on a short-term basis. He reportedly will be bringing back a coaching staff of Ashley Cole, Joe Edwards and Chris Jones, who all worked with him previously at both Chelsea and Everton.

The Blues sit just 11th in the Premier League, a shocking development given the sheer amount of spending the club has undergone in the past year to bolster the roster. They will also face defending European champions Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals starting next week.

As for the long-term managerial position, Ornstein reported that "Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann, fresh from being sacked by Bayern Munich, have both been linked to the Chelsea vacancy."

Graham Potter didn't last a full season at Stamford Bridge.

The embattled Chelsea manager has "departed the club" and will "collaborate with the Club to facilitate a smooth transition," according to a press release from the Premier League side.

Chelsea's co-controlling owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, noted the following in the team's statement:

"On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea. We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.

"Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind [interim manager Bruno Saltor] and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter final ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high."

The move doesn't come as a surprise.

The Blues lost to Aston Villa 2-0 on Saturday, dropping them to a shocking 11th on the Premier League table at 38 points, with 10 wins, 10 losses and eight draws on the season.

That has left them 12 points out of the final Champions League berth for next season behind fourth-place Manchester United and 11 points behind fifth-place Tottenham for the only guaranteed Europa League berth.

At this point, Chelsea will have to win the Champions League to guarantee its spot in Europe's premier competition next season.

Given the massive resources the club has spent on players in the past year, poor results were never going to be tolerated. Potter defenders, however, might point to the fact that the manager was brought on midseason to replace Thomas Tuchel in September and given a huge swath of new players to incorporate in January after the club went on a lucrative shopping spree, a difficult task given the talent and egos already on the roster.

His hiring will be seen as a poor investment by Chelsea's new ownership. He not only was given a five-year deal, but the Blues also paid the around £20 million ($24.6 million) buyout clause to Brighton to lure him to London.

As for his potential replacement, football reporter Fabrizio Romano noted that former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann is the front-runner:

There would be some delicious irony to that appointment, given that Nagelsmann was shockingly replaced at Bayern Munich this season by Chelsea's former manager, Tuchel.

Whoever ends up receiving the post, one thing had become abundantly clear—change was needed. Potter wasn't up to this particular task.

Chelsea advanced to the Champions League quarterfinal with Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, but it didn't come without controversy.

The Blues advanced with a 2-1 aggregate victory, with Kai Havertz scoring the winning goal on a 53rd minute penalty:

However, the score came on the second attempt after Havertz missed his first shot. Officials gave the forward a second opportunity after a questionable encroachment call:

The initial call was also debated after Marius Wolf committed a hand ball. Chelsea received the penalty after a lengthy VAR check, and fans didn't all agree:

The goal still counted on the scoresheet and helped Chelsea win the tie.

Added to the opening goal scored by Raheem Sterling, the Blues were able to come from behind after a 1-0 loss in the first leg in Germany.

This season certainly hasn't gone to expectations for Chelsea, which sits 10th in the English Premier League. A matchup against a red-hot Borussia Dortmund squad seemingly ruined the hopes of a deep Champions League run.

A fortunate ruling in the latest match has turned the tides, however, and Chelsea will advance in the UCL with a shot at winning another trophy.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter revealed Friday that both he and his family have received death threats from fans as the Blues sit 10th in the Premier League table with only 31 points after 23 games played.

Potter said during his press conference, via ESPN's James Olley:

"Things are difficult so nobody wants to hear about the poor old Premier league manager. Nevertheless if you ask me a question about 'is it hard, is it tough, is it nice to hear,' as much as I've had support, I've had some not particularly nice emails come through that want me to die and want my kids to die.

"So that's obviously not pleasant to receive. But if you've asked about it for four months, if you're under pressure, for four months 'I'm under pressure, I'm under pressure', I'm under pressure because you guys [the media] need to sell stuff, what do you expect in the end?

"And if we don't get the results then obviously that's what happens. That's football. That's how it is. And the challenge for me is 'OK, how do I conduct myself'? That's what I always turn round to. The higher you go, the more pressure you have on how you are as pre-season."

Olley added that a Chelsea spokesperson confirmed the club will be following up with authorities on the abuse Potter has received from fans.

Potter is facing mounting pressure at Stamford Bridge following Chelsea's 1-0 loss to Southampton, which sits at the bottom of the Premier League table with 18 points, on Feb. 18.

Additionally, the Blues have won just two of their last 14 games and fell to Borussia Dortmund 1-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Feb. 15.

One of the biggest criticisms of Potter has been "his laid-back image and perceived lack of passion on the sidelines," according to Sky Sports, though he hasn't let that bother him during his tenure with the club.

"If people think you can just go from the ninth tier of English football via the fourth tier of Swedish football and climb your way up the pyramid and end up here with uncaring, unpassionate and unemotional personality then maybe they should try it themselves and see how they get on," Potter said.

With the likes of Thiago Silva, Enzo Fernández, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, João Félix, Raheem Sterling and Reece James on the roster, there's no reason for the club to be struggling as much as it has over the last several weeks, and it'll be interesting to see if it can right the ship moving forward.

Potter has been Chelsea's manager since September, replacing Thomas Tuchel just six games into the 2022-23 season. At the time, club owner Todd Boehly expressed confidence in the former Brighton & Hove Albion coach:

"We are thrilled to bring Graham to Chelsea. He is a proven coach and an innovator in the Premier League who fits our vision for the club.

"Not only is he extremely talented on the pitch, he has skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch which will make Chelsea a more successful club. He has had a major impact at his previous clubs and we look forward to his positive impact at Chelsea. We look forward to supporting him, his coaching team and the squad in realising their full potential in the coming months and years."

According to Olley, Chelsea is still supportive of Potter, "but are mindful of growing fan unrest." So while his job appears to be safe for now, that could change at some point down the line.

Chelsea is set to face Tottenham on Sunday and Leeds United on March 4 in Premier League action before facing Dortmund in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on March 7.

The questions keep piling up for Graham Potter. How much longer will the Chelsea manager be given to find the answers?

Potter's Blues continued a tough season with a disappointing first leg against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday, losing 1-0.

It was Karim Adeyemi's flash of brilliance that was the difference:

The result—and the subsequent response—was harsh on Chelsea. The Blues held 53 percent of possession, took 21 shots and put eight on goal. They had 10 corners to five for their opponent and regularly peppered the Dortmund box with threatening moves and chances. The final product just wasn't there.

Potter can't score the goals. But Chelsea's overall struggles this season left him as the scapegoat on Wednesday nonetheless:

It was a pretty tough day for Chelsea across the board:

In some ways, the criticism of Potter was harsh. Chelsea were away in a tough environment against a good club and only lost by a goal in a game where they generally played well. And Potter has been tasked with incorporating the huge waves of new talent the Chelsea board bought in January, with very little time to get a new-look group acclimated to one another.

It's not enough to have talent. Fitting that talent together in a complementary way is crucial, and solving that equation can take time.

But patience is not one of the perks of the job for a Premier League manager, especially at a global brand like Chelsea. Were the Blues having their usual success in the league, a hard-fought loss away at Dortmund might not inspire angst.

But Chelsea sit 10th on the Premier League table, 10 points behind Newcastle in fourth. More than likely, the club's only path to Champions League football will be to win the UCL this season.

At the moment, that seems like the absolute longest of shots, though Chelsea will have the chance to recover in the second leg and keep its UCL season alive.

Potter's future may depend on it.