Chelsea appoint Potter as Tuchel’s successor

Chelsea have appointed Graham Potter as their new head coach, less than 48 hours after Thomas Tuchel was sacked. 

The Blues fired Tuchel on Wednesday morning but announced on Thursday afternoon that Potter, 47, had signed a five-year deal to become the club’s new boss.

The Englishman leaves his role as head coach of Brighton and Hove Albion to take up the post at Stamford Bridge, becoming the Blues’ 18th manager since 2000.

Tuchel’s sacking came as a shock to many, with the former Borussia Dortmund man being relieved of his duties just over 12 months after guiding Chelsea to the Champions League trophy.

He also lifted the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup during his first full season with the club, but results during the early weeks of this campaign had been poor.

Chelsea had lost to Leeds United and Southampton in the league, before a shock 1-0 loss at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb in their Champions League group stage opener on Tuesday evening.

Tuchel has already been replaced as head coach at Chelsea

Tuchel was sacked the following morning, 20 months after being hired following the departure of Frank Lampard.

Potter quickly became the frontrunner for the job, and owner Todd Boehly has acted quickly in hiring a new head coach for his side.

The ex-Swansea City boss had impressed since taking charge of The Seagulls, guiding the club to its highest ever Premier League finish last season, as they ended up in ninth place.

Having been linked with a number of jobs over the past two years, including the vacancy at Tottenham Hotspur 18 months ago, Potter was a man in demand and those in charge of Chelsea will have been pleased to have secured his services.

Upon joining The Blues, Potter thanked his former employers.

“I am incredibly proud and excited to represent Chelsea FC, this fantastic football club,” he told the club’s official site.

“I am very excited to partner with Chelsea’s new ownership group and look forward to meeting and working with the exciting group of players and to develop a team and culture that our amazing fans can be proud of.

“I would also like to place my sincere thanks to Brighton & Hove Albion for allowing me this opportunity and in particular Tony Bloom and all the players, staff and supporters for their continued support during my time at the club.”

In total, Potter won 34 of his 119 Premier League matches in charge of Brighton, including four of their six so far this term.