By Katie Catherall
Mauricio Pochettino has spoken for the first time after leaving Chelsea ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The Argentine departed the club by mutual consent at the end of the 2023/24 season, making way for new head coach Enzo Maresca - who was officially announced as his successor on Monday.
Pochettino's time on the touchline at Stamford Bridge is not yet over though, as he will return on Sunday to manage the World XI Soccer Aid team. Despite his Chelsea exit, Pochettino has remained firm on his commitment to the charity game, leading a squad that includes stars such as Eden Hazard and Usain Bolt.
Taking to social media for the first time since leaving the club, Pochettino spoke of his surprise exit, saying: "I am so pleased with the level the team reached and the way the players and staff have all worked so hard to increase their standards, they deserve great credit and I hope you felt that too in how they performed on the pitch.
"We know there have been ups and downs but we always believed in this team and that we would arrive at a consistent level.
"I believe the experiences of this season and the big improvement we saw, I hope will only make the players stronger for the future. It has been a pleasure to work with them all and we appreciate the strong bonds we created in this last year together.
"I want to wish all of you the best for next season and beyond. It is great that we have the chance to return to Stamford Bridge so soon with Soccer Aid this weekend and I hope that we get to see some of you there too."
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Mauricio Pochettino breaks silence after Chelsea exit.
