Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed he feared for his job following an embarrassing 4-2 defeat against Wolves earlier this season. The defeat at Stamford Bridge in February led to boos from fans and calls for Pochettino’s dismissal.
The loss marked Chelsea’s seventh defeat in 14 Premier League games, leaving them 11th in the table and casting a shadow over Pochettino’s first season in charge. Despite significant investment exceeding £1 billion ($1.5 billion) in new signings by chairman Todd Boehly’s consortium, Wolves appeared fitter and more committed than Chelsea.
Reflecting on the situation, Pochettino admitted it was his lowest moment at Chelsea and he was genuinely concerned about his job security. When asked if he thought he might be dismissed, the 52-year-old replied, “I think after Wolves.”
He referred to the subsequent controversy, including a tweet from Chelsea defender Thiago Silva’s wife, Bella, that seemed to call for his dismissal. “It was a tough moment, that defeat at home. In this moment, when you are a coaching staff, you feel the loneliness,” Pochettino added.
During the season, Pochettino led Chelsea to the League Cup final, where they were defeated by Liverpool, and the FA Cup semi-finals, ending in a loss to Manchester City. However, their inconsistent Premier League performance put him under intense pressure.
“You feel like everyone is seeing you like you’re guilty of something that you don’t know,” Pochettino said. “We felt the loneliness. We were alone after the game, waiting. I think we spent two hours (in the stadium). That was the longest time after a game that we were there, looking between us in a very small room. We were more sad than thinking we would be sacked. It was an unfair situation. It was a situation we didn’t deserve.”
Recently, Pochettino acknowledged that being sacked wouldn’t be “the end of the world” and even hinted he might quit rather than wait for a decision on his future after the season.
However, Chelsea have shown improvement in recent weeks and now need a draw in their last game of the season against Bournemouth on Sunday to qualify for European competition next season.
Despite this, Pochettino insisted that merely qualifying for Europe’s secondary competition wouldn’t be enough for a club with Chelsea’s ambitions. “It’s not enough for us,” he said. “We are not going to celebrate. We are not going to take a picture to celebrate being in fifth or sixth. It’s not enough for the club.”
