What really marked the end for Pochettino at Chelsea

After all the rumors and speculations put up about his future, Mauricio Pochettino finally bids farewell to Chelsea. Following said reports, a new report emerges to hint at what may have happened to spark the separation.

After five consecutive wins that secured European football for the next season, it was announced on Tuesday that Pochettino had left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent.

The search for a new manager is now underway, marking the third permanent appointment since American businessman Todd Boehly took over the club from Roman Abramovich two years ago. Potential candidates include Roberto De Zerbi, Ruben Amorim, Kieran McKenna, and Thomas Tuchel.

However, according to The Telegraph, a particular question seemed to have spearheaded the end for Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea.

This The Telegraph puts it, was the question about Chelsea having a set-piece coach. When asked about this during a press conference, Pochettino responded, “We are a coaching staff in charge of everything. Football belongs to the players. Not to the specialists.”

This response reportedly conflicted with the vision of Chelsea’s owners and sporting directors, who advocate for a specialist-driven approach to football.

The Telegraph reported,

“That was at odds with the structure being built by Chelsea’s owners and sporting directors, who have made it abundantly clear they believe football belongs to the players and the specialists.”

Pochettino’s stance on set-piece coaching drew further scrutiny after Chelsea lost the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool. The decisive moment came when Virgil van Dijk scored from a corner deep into extra time.

Following the defeat, internal discussions highlighted Chelsea’s set-piece vulnerabilities, which some attributed to the squad’s lack of height—a factor pointing back to those responsible for team assembly.

It has since been reported that Chelsea reached an agreement with Brentford for set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva to join the club.