Why Elite Managers Might Hesitate to Join Chelsea Under Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali

Why Are Top Coaches Willing to Risk Their Reputations with Chelsea?

Chelsea’s owners have pressed the reset button yet again, letting go of Mauricio Pochettino, which has left players uncertain about the club’s future direction.

Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali now have to prove they know what they’re doing, starting with a new managerial appointment—one they can’t afford to mess up.

Pochettino ended the Premier League season with a five-match winning streak, the best record during the Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership. He managed to make sense of Chelsea’s oversized squad, making significant tactical changes to achieve those wins.

However, instead of building on that progress, Chelsea’s owners decided to start over, undoing all that had been achieved.

Chelsea’s bosses believe their aggressive transfer strategy can change the entire market, but using the same bold approach with managers is risky and keeps bringing the club back to square one.

Under Boehly and Clearlake, Chelsea will now have their sixth coach in two years, including brief interim roles for Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard.

Both Graham Potter and Pochettino were highly supported and praised when they were appointed by the new owners.

Potter was given a five-year contract with the promise that the club would grow alongside him. However, he only lasted 206 days and 31 matches before the pressure got too much.

Pochettino, appointed last summer, was hailed as a world-class manager. Despite a challenging, injury-filled season, he was let go after 325 days.

Now, for the third time in just over a year, the owners are searching for a new leader for their new era.

By the time Pochettino thought his team was ready for his final tactical adjustments, there were already problems between him and the club. He successfully changed Marc Cucurella’s full-back role, but insisted that much of the season was spent preparing the team for such a style.

Coaches need time to instill their principles in new players. Chelsea thought Pochettino took too long; he disagreed. Conflicts over the club’s football leadership structure and transfer plans sealed his fate.

Top managers might hesitate to risk their reputations by taking on the challenge at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s future depends on the next managerial appointment. The club aims to strengthen its off-field management, with key decisions made by the co-owners and two sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

Pochettino wanted more control over operations and transfer plans than Chelsea was willing to give. Despite a tough first half of the season, he secured European football by losing only once in the last 15 league matches.

Chelsea’s players were disappointed by Pochettino’s departure, as they believed he could bring success next season. Now, they wait anxiously to see who the next manager will be, with Chelsea’s bosses aiming for a quick recruitment process.

Boehly, Eghbali, and their partners bought Chelsea in 2022 with plans that had worked well for the LA Dodgers, another team they invest in. One key success at the Dodgers has been the stability under long-term coach Dave Roberts since 2016. Chelsea tried to replicate this with Potter and are ready to try again.

Pochettino’s successor will need to accept the authority of the board and sporting directors, possibly even in coaching matters.

Chelsea wants to appoint their new manager quickly. They have admired Sporting’s Ruben Amorim since their takeover. However, he may be hard to get this summer, so they are also considering Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna, Girona’s Michel, Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness, and others.

The option for continuity just left Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea’s bosses must now ensure that the managerial revolving door stops spinning.