LAST UPDATE | 8 Sep 2022
GRAHAM POTTER HAS been confirmed as Chelsea’s new boss.
The 47-year-old held talks with Chelsea’s new owners throughout the day and agreed terms on a five-year deal at lunchtime.
Confirmation of his appointment came at 3.40pm this afternoon on the Chelsea website.
Potter said: “I am incredibly proud and excited to represent Chelsea FC, this fantastic football club.
“I am very excited to partner with Chelsea’s new ownership group and look forward to meeting and working with the exciting group of players and to develop a team and culture that our amazing fans can be proud of.
“I would also like to place my sincere thanks to Brighton & Hove Albion for allowing me this opportunity and in particular Tony Bloom and all the players, staff and supporters for their continued support during my time at the club.”
Chelsea chairman, Todd Boehly, chairman, said: ‘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.’
Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are understood to have met a release fee in Potter’s Amex Stadium contract.
Potter is now the first managerial appointment of Chelsea’s new era, with the ambitious US owners determined to install a manager at the Stamford Bridge helm for the long-term.
Chelsea are understood to have made initial contact with Mauricio Pochettino and Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim, as well as considering Zinedine Zidane and even Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers.
But Potter has always been considered the top target of the club’s new board.
Tuchel was sacked by Chelsea on Wednesday morning, amid mounting discord with the new board and growing issues with the Stamford Bridge players.
Former Paris St Germain coach Tuchel led Chelsea to the 2021 Champions League title, then the 2022 Club World Cup crown.
But the charismatic German coach paid the price for disharmony with the Blues’ new owners, who were left feeling unable to see Tuchel at the centre of their west London revamp.
Potter is understood to have asked for assurances about the new Chelsea owners’ plans to fashion a set-up for managers to make long-term plans that they then actually also carry out.
The former Swansea boss was impressed with what he heard in face-to-face meetings with Boehly and Eghbali on Wednesday afternoon, paving the way for a deal to be wrapped up quickly.
