Mauricio Pochettino 'so pleased' with how Chelsea performed, despite sacking - 'It's been a pleasure'

Mauricio Pochettino insists he is leaving Chelsea in a much better position than they were in when he took the reins.

The Argentine was sacked by the Stamford Bridge club following the end of the 2023/24 season.

He spent only 12 months at the helm, but overcame a turbulent start to end the campaign in sixth place in the Premier League.

That was not enough to hold on to his job, with former Leicester boss Enzo Maresca confirmed as his replacement this week.

Addressing supporters through his Instagram account, Pochettino said: "We understand how important this football club is to you all and that is why we work so hard to give you a Chelsea you can be proud of.

"I am so pleased with the level the team reached and the way the players and staff have all worked so hard to increase their standards.

"They deserve great credit and I hope you felt that too in how they performed on the pitch."

The points haul Chelsea amassed in 2023/24 was 19 better than what they accumulated in the previous campaign, and led to them finishing six places higher in the Premier League table.

As a result, they have qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League, having missed out on European football last season.

The Blues also reached the League Cup final before losing to Liverpool, and made it to Wembley in the FA Cup, where they were beaten by Manchester City in the last-four.

That all came despite a miserable start to the campaign, when Chelsea managed only five victories across their opening 16 league outings.

Things eventually started to click though, and an impressive run of five top-flight wins in a row at the end of the season secured continental football.

And although that was not enough for Pochettino to keep hold of his job, he thinks it shows the club can be successful going forwards.

"We know there have been ups and downs," he continued. "But we always believed in this team and that we would arrive at a consistent level.

"I believe the experiences of this season and big improvements we saw, I hope will only make the players stronger for the future.

"It has been a pleasure to work with them all and we appreciate the strong bonds we created in this last year together.

"I want to wish all of you the best for next season and beyond."

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