After sacking manager Graham Potter after less than seven months in charge following Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat by Aston Villa, Chelsea would shell out £50 million payout to him.
After spending three seasons at Brighton, Potter replaced now-Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel in September 8, 2022, signing a five-year contract worth £12 million a season.
Chelsea’s sack of Potter comes 10 days before they take on Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League.
The Club suffered their 11th defeat in the 31 games under the Englishman since he replaced Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea, which spent more than £550 million on new players, are searching for their third manager of the season.
The Blues are in the bottom half of the Premier League after their latest loss – and 12 points off the top four.
Chelsea say Potter “has agreed to collaborate with the club to facilitate a smooth transition” and that Bruno Saltor will take charge of the team as interim head coach.
In a statement, co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: “We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person.
“He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.”
Chelsea host Liverpool in the Premier League on Tuesday and face Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on 12 April.
Potter to get £50 million payout
Chelsea co-owner and chairman Todd Boehly has spent over $600 million on new players since coming into the club in June last year, including around $350 million in the winter transfer window in signing elite-level players.
The Blues beat off stiff competition to snap up Argentina’s World Cup-winning Enzo Fernández for £106 million from Benfica but progress on the field has been limited.
Under normal circumstances, Chelsea would have been forced to pay up the remainder of his contract, which would have totalled £60 million (including what Potter has already received), just a matter of months after paying Potters’ £21.5 million release clause to the Seagulls.
However, The Athletic have reported that Potter “will be paid regular severance unrelated to the remaining duration of the five contract.”
The former Brighton boss got the Blues on track after their victory in the competition over Borussia Dortmund, followed by a disappointing draw at home to Everton and a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
At the moment, the club is placed 11th of the Premier League table after 28 matches, 12 points adrift of the top four, where they need to finish to ensure Champions League qualification for next season.
BBC Online
