Graham Potter said the vision presented by Chelsea’s new owner convinced him to take charge of the London club, adding it was the start of a “really exciting time” for Chelsea. Potter was confirmed as Chelsea manager on Thursday to replace Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked just three months after a consortium led by American Todd Boehly completed a £4.25 billion takeover of the club (4 .86 billion dollars).
“It’s the start of a really exciting time, I think,” Potter said in an interview on the club’s website published on Monday. “(I spoke with) the new owner who really, really excited and impressed me. “First of all as people, then the vision of the club and what they wanted to do. Of course, the history of the club speaks for itself, but it’s about trying to recreate it in our own way.
“A bit of sadness, of course, leaving a few good people but very, very happy and excited to meet new people. So a whole range of emotions, but overall I have to say really happy and very proud.” The 47-year-old, who spent time with Sweden’s Ostersund and Swansea City before taking charge of Brighton & Hove Albion, said his move to the six-time English champions was a step up in his career.
“It’s nice to be able to take the next step and be able to work with an exciting group of players that we have here,” Potter said. “And competing at the top and trying to create a winning team, that’s a fantastic opportunity for me.” Potter added that his experiences with Brighton, whom he helped avoid relegation in 2020 and 2021, had made him better as a manager.
“We learned a lot in the Premier League, about how you can handle the ups and downs,” Potter said. “About how you have to take responsibility when things aren’t going well. But I think we can use those experiences very effectively and we’re much stronger, much better for them.”
Chelsea spent an estimated £250m ($287m) in the summer transfer window but are sixth in the league after six games.
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