Todd Boehly breaks silence on Chelsea’s Graham Potter appointment

Chelsea owner and chairman Todd Boehly has broken his silence to welcome Graham Potter to Stamford Bridge. The Blues appointed the 47-year-old as their new head coach on Thursday after parting ways with Thomas Tuchel little more than 24 hours earlier.

“We are thrilled to bring Graham to Chelsea,” Boehly said after Potter quit Brighton to link-up with the Blues. “He is a proven coach and an innovator in the Premier League who fits our vision for the club.

“Not only is he extremely talented on the pitch, he has skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch which will make Chelsea a more successful club. He has had a major impact at his previous clubs and we look forward to his positive impact at Chelsea. We look forward to supporting him, his coaching team and the squad in realising their full potential in the coming months and years.”

Boehly took decisive action to relieve Tuchel of his duties on Wednesday morning after Chelsea had suffered an embarrassing Champions League defeat against Croatian minnows Dinamo Zagreb the previous evening. The German had led the west London giants to Champions League glory in 2021, just four months after arriving at the club.

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And he backed that up by steering the Blues to Club World Cup success during the last campaign, as well as appearances in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals. But Chelsea have begun the new season in dismal fashion and had already suffered Premier League defeats to Leeds and Southampton before their loss to Zagreb. And Tuchel ultimately paid with his job.

Potter joins Chelsea following a successful three-year spell at Brighton. The former left-back, who spent time with the likes of Birmingham, Southampton and West Brom during his playing days, led the Seagulls to a 15th-place Premier League finish during his first season at the helm, before helping them finish 16th the following year.

But he proved his worth last season as he guided Brighton to a top-half finish as they ended the season in ninth place. And he has been widely extolled for his attacking style of play and tactical nous.

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Following his appointment in the capital, Potter explained how proud he was to be given the job. “I am incredibly proud and excited to represent Chelsea FC, this fantastic football club,” he 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.”

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