Exclusive: Mauricio Pochettino stands up for his impressive beginning at Chelsea, criticizing the unjust response to their Carabao Cup journey as ‘unfair’.
Mauricio Pochettino, the former Tottenham boss who took charge of Chelsea last summer, has expressed his delight at his time with the club so far. In an exclusive interview with TNT Sports, Pochettino described his seven months at Chelsea as “fantastic” and criticized the subdued reaction to his team reaching the Carabao Cup final.
Chelsea will face Liverpool in the final on February 25, but before that, they will have a dress rehearsal at Anfield in the Premier League on Wednesday night. Pochettino acknowledged that his team is currently ninth in the table, 17 points behind Liverpool, due to a turbulent campaign marred by injuries.
Pochettino also discussed the challenges he has faced since taking over at Chelsea. With Todd Boehly’s takeover in May 2022, Chelsea has spent £1 billion on transfer and loan fees, but has had little success on the pitch. Pochettino has had to integrate a host of new players into the squad and coordinate the entire organization, which he believes has made the situation more difficult.
Despite the doubts surrounding him, Pochettino remains confident in his team’s abilities. He highlighted the achievement of reaching the Carabao Cup final and expressed his frustration at the lack of credit given to Chelsea. Pochettino believes it is unfair that the team’s success has not been celebrated as much as Liverpool’s.
Looking ahead to the upcoming match against Liverpool, Pochettino acknowledged the challenge of facing Jurgen Klopp’s team. He has only managed to secure one win in 12 meetings with Klopp, including the 2019 Champions League final. However, Pochettino praised Klopp for his achievements at Liverpool and ranked him among the Premier League’s greatest managers.
Despite the difficulties, Pochettino remains optimistic and believes that Chelsea can win against Liverpool. He acknowledged that it will be a tough match, but expressed his confidence in his team’s abilities.
In conclusion, Mauricio Pochettino has expressed his satisfaction with his time at Chelsea so far and criticized the lack of recognition for his team’s achievements. He is looking forward to the upcoming match against Liverpool and believes that Chelsea can secure a victory.