Chelsea Appoint Graham Potter As New Manager

Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Graham Potter as their new head coach.

Potter has signed a five-year deal and will take charge of Saturday’s trip to Fulham after agreeing to succeed Thomas Tuchel.

‘I am incredibly proud and excited to represent Chelsea FC, this fantastic football club,’ Potter said.

‘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.’

Potter is expected to bring a number of members of his Brighton staff with him to Stamford Bridge, including coaches Bjorn Hamberg and Billy Reid plus assistant recruitment chief Kyle Macaulay.

After saying his farewells at Brighton’s training ground to players and staff left saddened by his departure yesterday morning he arrived at Chelsea’s in the afternoon.

Potter will take Chelsea training for the first time tomorrow.

While Tuchel lasted just 100 days, Potter is someone Chelsea’s owners are planning for the long-term with and believe is a better fit for them and their vision for the club.

They also wanted to appoint a coach with a track record of developing a team and improving young players which contributed to Potter’s appeal.

Potter has done that in his previous jobs at Ostersunds and Swansea and continued that trend at Brighton.

He was appointed Brighton head coach in May 2019 after they finished that season 17th.

He has led them to 15th, 16th and ninth place finishes and leaves them in fourth place, having introduced an eye-catching style of play and in a healthy financial position after improving a string of players to the extent that the Seagulls have been able to bank significant sums for them.

He will be reunited with one of them at Chelsea in left-back Marc Cucurella who moved to London after a year under Potter at Brighton in a deal worth up to £62m last month.