After almost seven months, Chelsea have parted ways with team manager Graham Potter. For Julian Nagelsmann, who was released at FC Bayern last week, this may result in another job opportunity.
The Blues announced Potter’s expulsion on Sunday night.
“On behalf of the whole club we would like to sincerely thank Graham for his contribution. We have the utmost respect for Graham as a manager and as a person. He has always behaved with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed that this development has come about is,” club owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali were quoted as saying in the statement.
Potter had only taken over the post from Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge in September, but under his direction Chelsea fell into Premier League mediocrity. After losing 2-0 to Aston Villa on Saturday, the Londoners are only tenth.
Hopes of qualifying for the European Cup continue to dwindle. Chelsea have only won twice in their last nine league games and are eleven points behind the international places in eleventh place.
The previous assistant coach, Bruno Saltor, is taking over the position of head coach on an interim basis. “We still have ten Premier League games and the quarter-finals of the Champions League ahead of us. We will give our best in each of those games to end the season on a high note,” said Boehly and Eghbali.
Off at Bayern, move to Chelsea?
As a possible successor to Potter, Julian Nagelsmann has recently been traded again and again. The 35-year-old was surprisingly dismissed from FC Bayern last week – Tuchel of all people inherited him there.
For Nagelsmann, Chelsea is already the second job option within London. The football teacher should also be a candidate at Tottenham Hotspur after Antonio Conte left.
In addition, Nagelsmann is considered a possible coaching option for Real Madrid should Carlo Ancelotti end his commitment next summer.
“I can hardly imagine that he will be a coach anywhere else this season. It depends on him. He will need some time to let things sink in, to reflect,” said Munich CEO Oliver Kahn on Sunday said about Nagelsmann’s future on “Sky 90”.