By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Chelsea Football Club have confirmed that the club and manager Mauricio Pochettino have mutually agreed to part ways.
“On behalf of everyone at Chelsea, we would like to express our gratitude to Mauricio for his service this season,” Chelsea sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said.
“He will be welcome back to Stamford Bridge any time and we wish him all the very best in his future coaching career.”
The 51-year-old, who joined Chelsea on a two-year deal last summer, has left with the west London club finishing seventh in the Premier League and qualifying for the Europa Conference League, UEFA’s third-tier continental competition.
“Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and Sporting Directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club’s history,” Pochettino said in the club’s statement. “The Club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come.’
Pochettino’s exit means Chelsea’s owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, are on the lookout for their fourth manager since taking over at the club in May 2022.
Chelsea spent around £380 million ($478.26m) on 10 players in the last summer transfer window but struggled with consistency for much of the season.