Official: Chelsea appoint Graham Potter as new head coach

After a short and focused chase, Chelsea have appointed Graham Potter as our new head coach, replacing Thomas Tuchel who was sacked yesterday (Wednesday).

Chelsea closed short-term talks with Potter, selling him the vision of a long-term project at the club and getting him to agree the terms of a five-year (!) deal. That’s the longest contract we’ve given a manager since a five-year deal for Jose Mourinho in 2005 (he made two and substituted).

Potter’s contract with Brighton & Hove Albion had a variable release clause, reportedly around £16 million, which activated Chelsea. It is expected that at least three members of his backroom staff will join him, including longtime assistants Billy Reid and Björn Hamberg, and “recruitment specialist” Kyle Macaulay, and perhaps a few others (goalkeeper coach Ben Roberts and first team coach Bruno left). also the team with him), bringing Brighton’s total compensation to north of £20m. We’re definitely making a big gamble here.

A journeyman footballer who spent ten years in the lower divisions, Potter entered coaching in his early thirties and made a name for himself during a remarkable 8-year spell in Sweden, taking Östersunds FK from the fourth tier to the first in five years. and reaching the knockout rounds of the Europa League a few years later, in 2017-18, and even recorded a 2-1 win in the Emirates against Arsenal.

He then made the jump to England, leading Swansea City to 10th place in the Premier League in his only season there, before moving to Brighton in 2019 for a £3million transfer. They finished 9th last season, their highest placing ever. He seems to have a knack for letting teams hit their peak after making them as high as possible. (Östersunds and Swansea have both been relegated since his departure.) Unlike most head coaches, he has never been fired. (Wait, friend!)

Potter is expected to get to work soon and could already be in the dugout for Saturday’s game against Fulham. We’ve got some early season slump to turn before we think about anything too long.

Welcome, Graham Potter. Let’s win some stuff!