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Mauricio Pochettino rubs salt into Tottenham wounds in first interview as Chelsea boss
Mauricio Pochettino has given his first interview since taking charge at Chelsea.
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Mauricio Pochettino may have risked the backlash from supporters of his former club Tottenham in his first interview after starting work as the new Chelsea boss. The Argentine was linked with both London jobs after leaving Paris Saint-Germain the previous year, but Spurs opted instead to hire Ange Postecoglou - having reportedly failed to contact Pochettino before he was named as the next Blues head coach and has spoken glowingly about his new employers.
Speaking in his first interview to club media, he claimed that it was an "easy" decision to move to Chelsea despite his ties with Spurs and named them "one of the greatest clubs in the world" which may be tough to hear for Spurs fans. "For me, it is a pleasure and honour to now be involved with Chelsea Football Club," he said.
"We are so excited, and I know Chelsea very well, it is one of the greatest clubs in the world. So of course, it was easy for us to make the decision to move here.
"We are so happy that today we can start here at Cobham in the training ground and meet the people and the staff. It is exciting for us and what we want is to bring the happiness again to this great football club. We will work hard, play in a way the fans can enjoy football, and the history of Chelsea is to win - but it is important also in the way we are going to build those victories.
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"We are excited, so happy, and are very grateful to all the people. Of course, it starts with [chairman] Todd (Boehly), [co-controlling owners] Behdad (Eghbali), Jose (E. Feliciano), and after all the people really welcomed us today and a few days ago when we arrived for the first time at Cobham."
Pochettino spent over five years in north London as one of Spurs' most successful head coaches in recent years, having taken them to the verge of Premier League and Champions League glory - but will be hoping to go a step further on both fronts at Stamford Bridge.
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'It’s a culture of winning here. We want to bring the happiness again to this great football club.' ������
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 3, 2023
Part one of our exclusive interview with Mauricio Pochettino! pic.twitter.com/rmWnGn3ARY
The 51-year-old had been said to be open to a return to Spurs after Antonio Conte and then Cristian Stellini were dismissed but club legend Ossie Ardiles explained the situation regarding a potential return. Speaking at a fan event at the end of the season, Ardiles reportedly said: "Pochettino was waiting for the phone call and he never received it."
Pochettino appears to have put the snub behind him, however, as he is focused on turning Chelsea around after their 12th-placed finish last season. "I think it’s [Chelsea's history] important and it’s a culture of winning," he added. "In the last 10, 12, 15 years, Chelsea is the greatest team in England. I know very well the Premier League and what the culture of Chelsea means. I think our fans are excited to again be on the road of trying to win.
"Of course, we are excited. We are excited to work with a very young team, with a different approach than in the past. But I think we all need to understand that we have to work really hard and create a very good atmosphere at the training ground to build success for the team in the next few years."