“Of course, he has done so much for me so I was sad. Sad for him and his coaching staff.”Todd Boehly betrayed the players and sold him without our consent
Conor Gallagher was unhappy when Chelsea parted company with Mauricio Pochettino, both for himself and for the departing manager.
Pochettino came over at Stamford Bridge before of the 2023-24 season and guided Chelsea to sixth place. It wasn’t enough to keep him, though, as the Argentine left by mutual consent only days after the final game, as owner Todd Boehly made additional changes.
Gallagher was a regular in the side under Pochettino, and he even wore the captain’s armband on many occasions. He missed only one league game and returned with five goals and seven assists, securing a spot in England’s Euro 2024 team.
Chelsea has already identified a successor for Pochettino, with former Leicester manager Enzo Maresca taking over. When asked about the previous management, Gallagher did not disguise his displeasure.
“Of course, he had done so much for me, so I was devastated,” Gallagher explained. “I’m sad for him and the coaching staff, but I’m extremely pleased about the new manager coming in, and myself and everyone at Chelsea are incredibly excited to work with him.
“I think I’ve gone a long way this season, and I owe a lot of thanks to Pochettino for giving me responsibility and faith at Chelsea.” This puts me in a better position to be a greater part of the squad during the tournament, and I’ll do everything I can to help England win.
“He just shown his belief and faith in me, which is all a player needs to be honest. If a manager shows you some affection, you’ll perform better. Long story short, it boosts your confidence, which is exactly what it did for me, so I simply keep building on it. A lot of credit goes to Pochettino for giving me the opportunity to show Chelsea what I could do last season; ideally, there is still potential for growth.”
Enzo Maresca will take over for Pochettino in the upcoming season (Image: PA).
Pochettino returned to Stamford Bridge just weeks after leaving, leading a World XI in a Soccer Aid charity match for Unicef. Reflecting on his brief stay in West London, he expressed his delight at being able to return to the pitch.
“To the owners and sporting directors, we appreciate the chance to return to the Premier League at this wonderful club Chelsea, as well as the support we received from all of the players, staff, and fans – thank you,” he said on Instagram.
“We recognize how important this football club is to you all, which is why we work so hard to create a Chelsea that you can be proud of. I am extremely delighted with the team’s performance and the way the players and staff fought so hard to raise their standards; they deserve a lot of praise, and I hope you feel the same way.
“We understand there have been ups and downs, but we have always believed in this squad and that we would reach a constant level. I feel that the players’ experiences this season, as well as the significant development we observed, will only strengthen them in the future. It has been a pleasure to work with them all, and we value the deep ties we formed over the previous year.”
