Mauricio Pochettino secures European football at Chelsea but faces decision day over future

Todd Boehly wined and dined Mauricio Pochettino ahead of Chelsea’s final game of the season but only time will tell whether or not it was the Argentine’s last supper.

Chelsea secured European football for next season with a final day victory over Bournemouth and Pochettino will hope his future is resolved this week.

Pochettino revealed that he went for dinner with Chelsea’s co-controlling owner Boehly last Friday night, but would not give any clues about what was discussed.

He was not mentioned at all in a message from Boehly and co-owners Clearlake Capital that was printed in the matchday programme for the final game of the season.

Whether his dinner with Boehly or the owners’ message in the programme proves to be significant will become evident in the coming days, with an end-of-season review expected to decide Pochettino’s fate.

“All I can tell you is on Friday night, Todd invited me for a dinner and it was a very nice dinner together,” said Pochettino. “But I don’t know about the rumours about the review. My staff tomorrow are flying for their holidays. I am going to stay in London for a few more days. I am always open. My phone is going to be on.”

Asked what was discussed at his dinner with Boehly, Pochettino replied: “I am not going to explain. It is only for you to know that I was with him. I’m not going to talk about this. If I invite you along, and you and me have dinner, it’s not for bad things. I don’t believe that.”

Whatever happens, Pochettino has finished the season with his head held high. Five successive victories to end the campaign has sent an end-of-season wave of optimism around Stamford Bridge and Pochettino has proved himself to be a fighter.

He feared for his job after a home defeat to Wolves, heard supporters chant against him in a draw at Brentford and may only have been one game from the sack after last month’s thrashing at Arsenal.

But each time Pochettino has fought back and there are plenty of signs that Chelsea have been coming together under his guidance.

Record signing Moises Caicedo finished the campaign by scoring what may well have been the goal of the season, from just inside Bournemouth’s half, and Raheem Sterling got on the scoresheet to clinch a sixth-placed finish for Chelsea.