Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has said that his future at the club is up to “the owners and the sporting director”.
The Blues finished their 2023-24 Premier League campaign with five straight wins over Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest, Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth.
Chelsea have secured sixth spot in the table, which as it stands, means that the club will compete in the group stage of next season’s Europa League.
However, if Manchester United beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final next weekend, the spot would become a playoff place in the Conference League.
Despite the strong finish, there remains speculation surrounding Pochettino’s future, with the Argentine potentially losing his job ahead of the opening of the summer transfer window.
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Pochettino says his future is out of his hands
“That is a question for the owners and the sporting director,” Pochettino told Sky Sports News after the 2-1 victory over Bournemouth on the final matchday of the season.
Moises Caicedo and Raheem Sterling were on the scoresheet for the Blues at Stamford Bridge, with Bournemouth registering when Benoit Badiashile put the ball into the back of his own net.
“We played aganst a team in a very good run also and had the whole week to prepare. I think the way we played and created chances, we had the chances to score more goals,” he added after the clash with the Cherries.
“I am so happy with the run in the last part of the season. Credit to the players and that is how we want to compete.
“For the history of Chelsea, it is hard to celebrate but It is the first step to achieve bigger things after. We are really close. Season by season it is about improving. We know how we need to compete next season. We have a young squad but with more experience in the Premier League now.”
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Should Chelsea stick with Pochettino?
There is no getting away from the fact that it has been a very tough season for Chelsea at times, and finishing sixth in the table is not considered to be a success for a club of their ilk.
A recent report claimed that Chelsea’s board have differing views when it comes to Pochettino’s future, with some key figures unsure whether the Argentine is the right manager at this moment in time.
However, he is believed to have the support of Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly, and it would be a surprise to see the South American lose his job this summer.
The recovery from the 5-0 loss at Arsenal on April 23 has been hugely impressive, winning five and drawing one of their six matches since that clash in North London.
Chelsea will play some form of European football next season, and Pochettino has done enough this term to suggest that he could help the club in their bid to return to former glories.
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