Chelsea manager news – LIVE: Julian Nagelsmann latest and Mauricio Pochettino ‘open’ to job

Chelsea are set to begin an “exhaustive search” for a new manager after Graham Potter was sacked less than seven months into the job on Sunday night.

Potter was dismissed following Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa, a result which left the Blues in the bottom half of the Premier League table. The decision was made by co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, and with the full support of co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, but is said to have left members of the Chelsea squad “stunned”.

Chelsea’s new ownership believe sacking Potter, who they recruited from Brighton for £21m after getting rid of Thomas Tuchel earlier this season, gives the team a better chance of defeating Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this month. Potter’s assistant, Bruno Saltor, will now take interim charge ahead of Tuesday night’s game against Liverpool, while a permanent appointment is not said to be “imminent”.

Julian Nagelsmann is believed to be in contention for the job with Chelsea prepared to give the 35-year-old time for a rest after he was sacked by Bayern Munich, while former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is said to be “open” to the role. Brighton’s Roberto de Zerbi and Luis Enrique are among the other contenders. Follow live updates from Chelsea’s managerial search and the latest reaction to Potter’s sacking in our live blog below.

Chelsea manager news LIVE: Potter sacked as replacement search begins

• Graham Potter sacked as Chelsea manager after less than seven months

• Chelsea thank Potter but ‘disappointed’ in season’s outcome

• Julian Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto de Zerbi among contenders

• Chelsea set priorities for next manager as pressure grows on search

• Interim manager Bruno Saltor holds press conference ahead of Liverpool match

‘Chelsea pressed the panic button’ says Shearer

14:28 , Mike Jones

Former England striker Alan Shearer told Match of the Day 2 that the demand for success at Premier League clubs has led to a “crazy” football environment, where clubs “press the panic button” if they are not achieving short-term success.

“You know the rules when you go into a job these days,” said Shearer when alluding to Graham Potter losing his job at Chelsea.

“But who on earth pays £20m for their services - Potter and his staff- puts them a on a five- to six-year contract, pays them £10m a year, gives them a ridiculous amount of players for a stupid amount of money and then seven months later sacks him?

“It can only happen in football. Anyone with a football brain will tell you signing that amount of players is not going to work.”

Bruno Saltor press conference

14:19 , Mike Jones

Saltor on facing Liverpool: “We have to see it as an opportunity for the players.

“We’re representing Chelsea, a club with amazing history, who are about winning, about dominating. We need to prepare for the game, preparation helps a lot with performance. That’s what players need to focus on.

“Obviously I have pure admiration towards Jurgen. I can’t say anything other than what everyone knows. They’re going through a tough season as well, but have top players.

“We’re expecting a tough game, that’s aggressive because they have high intensity players.”

Bruno Saltor press conference

14:11 , Mike Jones

Saltor was also asked about how the players reacted to Potter’s sacking saying: “I couldn’t see the players yet. We’ve got an afternoon session planned, so I’ll see them now.

“The responsibility is all of ours but we’ve got to keep positive and focus on tomorrow’s game. That’s the energy we’re working with.

“They will be sad as well because they know the level of human being Graham is. I will take responsibility as I have done since day one and then expect them to be next to us and supportive.

“It’s a sad day for the staff because Graham and Billy [Reid] are two top coaches, top people, two human beings. How I see it, is be the most professional I can, try to help guide the players and to prepare for the game the best we can.”

Anything but magic... Why Chelsea sacked Graham Potter and what comes next

14:08 , Mike Jones

There was of course one predictable line that summed up one of the main problems for Graham Potter, amid a story that a number of football figures considered inevitable. Many of the players of course had names for the manager based on his wizard namesake, and there were repeated references to Quidditch. If that would indeed be predictable even if things were going well, the issue was that they were said with a bit of bite when things were going badly - which was often.

It reflects how a core of this expanded squad just never took Potter as seriously as they should a Chelsea manager. Some had to look up his career, and certain transfer targets didn’t know that much about him. That perhaps isn’t such a surprise in a young dressing room as international as this. It did play its part in ensuring Potter was fighting a losing battle from the very start, which meant the 47-year-old didn’t win enough games to justify staying in the job.

All of the appeals to emotional intelligence and what was genuinely good technical coaching that players enjoyed couldn’t overcome key realities of football. That is a manager has to have command over a squad, even one as bloated as this.

Anything but magic... Why Chelsea sacked Graham Potter and what comes next

Bruno Saltor press conference

13:53 , Mike Jones

Bruno Saltor spoke about his former boss, Graham Potter, at the start of this press conference and said: “Obviously it’s been a difficult 24 hours for all of us, for the staff, for the families and now we have to live with the situation.

“If I’m here right now it’s because Graham and the club thought it was the right step. I’m just here to help the club in the best way I can.

“I’m here right now, trying to keep the process going. We try to go along with it the best we can. I think Graham did an amazing job. Football is a really complex business and we have to keep going.

“I couldn’t see the players yet. We have an afternoon session planned. At the end of the day all of us are responsible, we have to focus on tomorrow’s game and that’s the energy we’re working on.”

Bruno Saltor press conference

13:51 , Mike Jones

“I spoke to the owners and they’ve been supportive. What I’m focused on is tomorrow’s game. Train today, train tomorrow and focus step by step.”

Bruno Saltor press conference

13:40 , Mike Jones

Bruno was asked whether he plans to make any wholesale changes to the Chelsea team that lost to Aston Villa and he replied:

“It’s a massive challenge to take on this role. I’ve got a lot of experience in changing rooms and I’ll try to help and guide players.

“We dominated the game [against Aston Villa] but there were a few mistakes. It was a good performance and we created a lot of chances so we’ll keep it as similar as we can.”

Bruno Saltor press conference

13:37 , Mike Jones

Chelsea’ s interim boss, Bruno Saltor, says it’s been a really difficult 24 hours since Graham Potter was sacked but the focus is on the next game and winning matches for Chelsea.

Who is Bruno Saltor? Chelsea’s interim manager after Graham Potter sacked

13:29 , Mike Jones

The Stamford Bridge dugout will have its third incumbent this season in Bruno Saltor starting Tuesday, when Chelsea host Liverpool. Saltor, who was an assistant coach under the recently departed Graham Potter, has been appointed as interim manager until the end of the season.

Bruno, as he’s commonly known, was the senior development coach in Potter’s backroom staff at Brighton & Hove Albion for three years and made the move to West London with him last September.

Bruno made 235 appearances for Brighton as a right-back, after joining them from Valencia in 2012, and captained the side to Premier League promotion in 2017. He went on to make 39 top flight appearances before retiring at the end of the 2018/19 season.

The status and regard in which he’s held by the fanbase is best reflected by the mural that went up in his honour in the city centre in November 2019.

Who is Bruno Saltor, Chelsea’s new interim manager?

Next Chelsea manager?

13:24 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Jose Mourinho

Is it really so unthinkable?

With such a huge turnover of senior personnel and a sense of self that has grown disparate, there might be some logic to bringing back the man who has managed Chelsea in more games than any other this century.

Notwithstanding his record of three Premier League titles and obvious affection for the club and its fans, ‘new Chelsea’ are in desperate need of a personality who knows exactly what the old one was all about.

He recently tasted European success after guiding Roma to Conference League glory last June, and with Roman Abramovich – who sacked Mourinho not once but twice – gone, there would be a clean slate of sorts from which to work. Stranger things have happened.

Next Chelsea manager?

13:18 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Ruben Amorim

Tottenham fans will attest to what a wily operator the Sporting Lisbon coach is, with Amorim’s team taking four Champions League points off them this season and beating them 2-0 with a whirlwind performance in Lisbon last September.

The 38-year-old is yet to truly announce himself as a rising star, and after the Potter experiment the Chelsea board may not be ready to take another punt on potential.

Yet his tactical nous and – maybe just as important after Potter – passion, make him undoubtedly a coach worthy of a grander stage than Portugal’s Primeira Liga.

Next Chelsea manager?

13:12 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Zinedine Zidane

The former Real Madrid boss spoke as recently as last September about how his lack of fluency in English made him apprehensive about taking a Premier League job, but with his outstanding record both domestically and in Europe with Real, Chelsea will likely dig deep to come up with something mouth-watering if they believe he could be tempted.

The 50-year-old has spent nearly two years out of the game since his second spell at the LaLiga giants, a long time for a manager of his pedigree and hunger.

Bruno Saltor to take Chelsea press conference ahead of Liverpool game

13:08 , Mike Jones

Chelsea’s next fixture comes against Liverpool on Tuesday night and they must now face Jurgen Klopp’s men without a permanent manager following the sacking of Graham Potter.

Potter’s assistant, Bruno Saltor, has been named as interim manager and will take today’s press conference ahead of the Liverpool game.

Next Chelsea manager?

13:06 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Mauricio Pochettino

The Argentinian has been out of work since leaving PSG, where he won last season’s Ligue 1 title, and his availability coupled with a record of success in the Premier League naturally places him near the top of the contenders list.

If Potter ultimately proved unable to rise to the massive challenge of marshalling some of the world’s biggest stars, the appointment of Pochettino – who has counted Lionel Messi amongst his charges – would carry no such risk.

Next Chelsea manager?

12:59 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Julian Nagelsmann

Tottenham target Julian Nagelsmann is the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Potter.

The former Bayern Munich boss led his side to the Bundesliga title in his first season after joining in the summer of 2021, also winning the German Super Cup in 2021 and 2022 before he was sacked and replaced by former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel late last month.

At just 35, the German is several years younger than some members of the Blues squad he would inherit, but the hotly-touted managerial talent’s age does not seem to be an issue for either Premier League side rumoured to be vying for his services.

Next Chelsea manager?

12:52 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers parted ways with Leicester following Saturday’s disappointing defeat at Crystal Palace but his history at Chelsea could make him an outside shot for the job.

While the Foxes are now fighting relegation, the Northern Irish manager previously masterminded Leicester to two credible Champions League challenges, not to mention taking Liverpool to within a whisker of the title in 2013/14, meaning he qualifies as a coach of calibre.

He spent four years heading up Chelsea’s youth set-up before moving into management, and knows how to get the best out of senior players.

‘Everybody wanted it to work’ says Hayes

12:45 , Mike Jones

Following Chelsea’s Women’s Super League win over Aston Villa on Sunday, boss Emma Hayes spoke about the sacking of the men’s head coach Graham Potter.

She said: “Obviously I’m upset for Graham and the club. I know everybody wanted to make it work.

“If the owners feel like they have to go in another direction then of course, as always, I support the decisions and wish Graham the best.

“With 10 games left to play in the Premier League, I’m sure the boys will do everything to get us back on track. I’m a manager and I’m always gutted when managers lose their job.”

Next Chelsea manager: Latest odds

12:38 , Mike Jones

The Chelsea board, including owner Todd Boehly, had preached patience when appointing Potter last September - believing he was the right man to lead their long-term project - but despite reaching the Champions League quarter-finals, his time ultimately ran out.

The Stamford Bridge gig is still one of the most sought-after jobs in European football and Julian Nagelsmann, who was himself surprisingly fired by Bayern Munich last month, is the early favourite but the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Zinedine Zidane and Oliver Glasner also appear to be in the running.

Here is a look at the contenders and the latest odds as to who will be named the next Chelsea boss:

Chelsea next manager odds: Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino among candidates

Jurgen Klopp jokes he is ‘last man standing’ after Premier League sackings

12:29 , Mike Jones

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp joked he was the “last man standing” after Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers were sacked on Sunday, taking the number of Premier League bosses to lose their jobs this season to a record 12.

Potter was dismissed by Chelsea, who Liverpool face at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, after just seven months in charge while Leicester parted ways with Rodgers with the club in a relegation battle.

Liverpool were thrashed 4-1 by Manchester City last weekend in what was a further blow to the club’s top-four hopes and, while Klopp is not under the same pressure as Potter and Rodgers were, the German joked he was the “elephant in the room” when asked about Sunday’s developments.

“What can I say? The elephant in the room is probably why I am still sitting here, in this crazy world!” Klopp replied. “Last man standing!”

Jurgen Klopp jokes he is ‘last man standing’ after Premier League sackings

Klopp on record number of Premier League sackings this seaosn

12:23 , Mike Jones

“It’s an awful number. But it is how it is.” said Jurgen Klopp when told that the 12 managers to be fired from Premier League clubs this season was a record number.

The Liverpool boss added: “Some clubs are underachieving this year. Especially when in relegation battles, we all know how much it means financially for clubs.

“You could say similar things about being in the Champions League or not being in the Champions League. Expectations are out there and rightly so, and if you don’t reach them you have to accept their decisions.”

Klopp on departures of Rodgers and Potter

12:16 , Mike Jones

Speaking about the sackings of Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter, Klopp added: “What can I say about that?

“I think both clubs are not in spots where they expected to be. I can’t say a lot about it. I know them well and I like both of them. They’re really good people, fantastic managers both of them, but still things can go the wrong way.

“Decision makers think things have to change and we all accept that’s part of the business. And that’s it. It’s been a strange week. [Antonio] Conte last week, [Julian] Nagelsmann and now these two.

“The season gets into a decisive part and people are afraid maybe of not reaching their targets. You have the opportunity to ask decisive people what they say about it.

“For all four, their football managing future is still bright. Not a disaster but a situation they probably don’t like, but it’s part of the business.”

Klopp on Potter’s sacking and Liverpool’s poor season

12:10 , Mike Jones

Jurgen Klopp’s press conference has started and he’s straight into the action talking about Graham Potter being sacked from Chelsea and whether he feels the situation is similar are Liverpool.

He said: “I’m aware of the fact I’m sitting here because of the past and not because of what we did this season.

“If this was my first season it would be slightly different. Yes, we have smart owners who know about the situation. Better ask them why that’s the case!

“No, I’m not (afraid) and I don’t think Graham was afraid. There’s no need to be afraid. We’re here to deliver, not here as a talisman, or for murals on house walls. I know that I’m 100% here to deliver.

“I know I’m still here because of what happened over the last few years and I don’t like the fact I had to rely on that.

“Is it right? We’ll see. We have to sort it. We cannot just continue playing like we do from time to time. That’s not allowed. I’m really disappointed in us and that we do these kind of things, but it happened.

“We have to find a way out and that’s what we’re constantly working on.”

Chelsea statement after sacking Potter

12:03 , Mike Jones

Chelsea’s statement read:

“Chelsea FC has announced that Graham Potter has departed the club. Graham has agreed to collaborate with the club to facilitate a smooth transition. In his time with the club, Graham has taken us to the quarter final of the Champions League, where we will face Real Madrid. Chelsea would like to thank Graham for all his efforts and contribution and wish him well for the future.”

Chelsea’s co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali also released a statement, saying:

“On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea. 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.

“Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter-final ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high.”

Jurgen Klopp’s thoughts on Graham Potter’s sacking

11:56 , Mike Jones

Coming up in the next hour or so Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will be giving a press conference ahead of the Reds’ fixture against Chelsea on Wednesday.

With Chelsea now managerless following Graham Potter’s sacking yesterday, the Liverpool boss will certainly be asked his thoughts on how everything went down and how Potter’s departure affects his planning for the game.

Liverpool slumped to a 4-1 defeat against Manchester City at the weekend and need to bounce back to keep their top four hopes alive.

Graham Potter sacked by Chelsea

11:48 , Mike Jones

Graham Potter has been sacked as head coach of Chelsea after just seven months in charge.

When he was appointed as the boss in September, he was hailed as a long-term solution and the board promised they would be patient as the club went through something of a rebuild.

But after record spending in the January transfer window failed to lead to an upturn in Premier League form, the former Brighton manager has been fired.

Chelsea are in the Champions League quarter-finals where they will face Real Madrid, after a hard-fought two-legged victory over Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16, but that wasn’t enough to save his job.

The final straw was the 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday that dropped the Blues into the bottom half of the Premier League. Chelsea won just seven of its 22 Premier League games under Potter and is 12 points off the top four. Bruno Saltor is now taking charge of the team as interim head coach.

Here’s last night’s story from Luke Baker:

Chelsea manager news LIVE: Graham Potter sacked as replacement search begins

Chelsea look at Pochettino, Spalletti and Enrique

11:40 , Mike Jones

The Telegraph report that Chelsea will try to interview at least five candidates to replace Graham Potter, with the club likely to hold talks with Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique and Luciano Spalletti.

The report claims the Chelsea job is guarenteed to be offered to former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann though he is the frontrunner to succeed Potter.

Sky Sports in Germany say it is 50/50 as to whether Nagelsmann would be prepared to move quickly to secure the job at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are keen to interview Pochettino and Enrique, both of whom are out of work, while Napoli’s Spalletti is on the radar after his success with the Italian side who are on course to win Serie A and are into the Champions League quarter-finals.

Sunday sackings leave average tenure of Premier League manager at shortest ever

11:33 , Mike Jones

The average managerial tenure is at its shortest in the Premier League era after Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter took this season’s total departures to 13.

Rodgers left relegation-threatened Leicester early on Sunday afternoon before Potter’s unhappy spell at Chelsea was brought to an end just after 8pm.

The remaining managers in the top flight have an average tenure of less than two years and, here, the PA news agency looks at how the figures compare to this point in previous seasons:

Sunday sackings leave average tenure of Premier League manager at shortest ever

Premier League managerial departures in 2022/23

11:25 , Mike Jones

The dismissals of Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter on Sunday, means this season has set a new record for Premier League sackings.

The number has now reached a staggering 12 with the previous highest total being 10 which occurred in four separate seasons.

Aug 30th - Bournemouth dismissed Scott Parker shortly after a 9-0 thrashing by Liverpool after criticising the club.

Sep 7th - Thomas Tuchel was sacked by Chelsea a day after a 1-0 defeat by Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League following a falling out with the owners during pre-season.

Oct 2nd - Wolves were 18th place in the table when Bruno Lage was let go.

Oct 20th - Aston Villa sacked Steven Gerrard sacked after a 3-0 loss to Fulham.

Nov 7th - A run of six defeats in nine games saw Ralph Hasenhuettl booted out of Southampton.

Jan 23rd - Frank Lampard left Goodison Park with Everton in the relegation zone.

Feb 6th - Jesse Marsch lasted a year at Elland Road after replacing Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United but poor performances saw him let go.

Feb 12th - Nathan Jones’ short and horrid tenure at Southampton saw him win once after replacing Hasenhuttl. The Saints decided to move on.

Mar 17th - Perhaps harshly, Patrick Vieira lost his job at Crystal Palace after a 12-match winless run in the Premier League drew the London side into the relegation battle.

Mar 26th - Antonio Conte was dismissed after outspoken criticism of the Tottenham squad and board despite Spurs still being fourth in the table.

April 2nd - Brendan Rodgers lost his job at Leicester the day after his side slip into the relegation zone.

April 2nd - Graham Potter’s short reign is over as Chelsea drop into the bottom half of the table despite assurances from the owners that he was a long-term appointment.

A familiar problem

11:17 , Mike Jones

When Graham Potter was at Brighton the biggest criticism thrown at his team was that they didn’t score enough goals to move them to the next level.

During his time at Chelsea, this old problem resurfaced with the Blues having the worst differential in expected goals of any side in the Premier League.

Odds shorten on Julian Nagelsmann to be next Chelsea boss with Graham Potter favourite for Leicester job

11:10 , Mike Jones

Who is the favourite with the bookmakers to replace Graham Potter?

Julian Nagelsmann: 3/10

Mauricio Pochettino: 7/2

Bruno Saltor: 11/2

Zinedine Zidane: 17/2

Oliver Glasner: 12/1

Diego Simeone: 14/1

Luis Enrique: 14/1

Ruben Amorim: 14/1

Roberto De Zerbi: 16/1

Brendan Rodgers: 16/1

Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said: “Odds on Julian Nagelsmann to be Chelsea’s next manager continue to shorten with the German now as short as 3/10, having been 10/11 on Sunday evening.

“Potter was sacked by the Blues after just six months, but a swift return to the dugout could be on the cards, with the former Brighton boss the Evens favourite to be the next Leicester manager.”

Chelsea set priorities for next manager as pressure grows on search

11:03 , Mike Jones

Chelsea have drawn up a managerial shortlist led by Julian Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique and Roberto De Zerbi, but are prepared to go through their Champions League campaign with interim boss Bruno Saltor in charge as the priority is to get the appointment right for pre-season.

Figures at the club are talking about an “exhaustive search” as, like the departed Graham Potter, they want a coach who buys into the idea of developing a young squad with the most progressive methods and understands the new hierarchy’s plans for the club.

Chelsea had already started to consider this as far back as February, though, as the realisation dawned that the situation might not improve under Potter. It was then that the names were first considered but, unlike with the departure of Thomas Tuchel in September, it is being stressed that there is no scope for an immediate appointment.

Chelsea set priorities for next manager as pressure grows on search

Could Potter end up at Leicester?

10:55 , Mike Jones

Sunday was a big day for Premier League sackings. First Leicester City fired Brendan Rodgers with the Foxes 19th in the table before Graham Potter was dismissed by Chelsea.

Both men have since been linked with the other’s former jobs but the more likelier of the two is that Potter moves into the role at the King Power Stadium.

Neither club will make hasty decisions in appointing new head coaches and there may be some reluctance from Potter to move into a new club so soon after a difficult experience at Stamford Bridge.

Anything but magic... Why Chelsea sacked Graham Potter and what comes next

10:48 , Mike Jones

There was of course one predictable line that summed up one of the main problems for Graham Potter, amid a story that a number of football figures considered inevitable. Many of the players of course had names for the manager based on his wizard namesake, and there were repeated references to Quidditch. If that would indeed be predictable even if things were going well, the issue was that they were said with a bit of bite when things were going badly - which was often.

It reflects how a core of this expanded squad just never took Potter as seriously as they should a Chelsea manager. Some had to look up his career, and certain transfer targets didn’t know that much about him. That perhaps isn’t such a surprise in a young dressing room as international as this. It did play its part in ensuring Potter was fighting a losing battle from the very start, which meant the 47-year-old didn’t win enough games to justify staying in the job.

All of the appeals to emotional intelligence and what was genuinely good technical coaching that players enjoyed couldn’t overcome key realities of football. That is a manager has to have command over a squad, even one as bloated as this.

Anything but magic... Why Chelsea sacked Graham Potter and what comes next

Who will lead Chelsea against Liverpool?

10:40 , Mike Jones

Graham Potter’s departure is unusual in the sense that most of his backroom staff will stay in place until a successor is hired and this is something Potter himself has supported.

That means former Brighton defender Bruno Saltor will be in charge of the team for the home game against Liverpool on Tuesday and probably after that.

Bruno worked under Potter after retiring in 2019 and the Spaniard moved to Stamford Bridge alongside him earlier this season.

The board believe the infrastructure is there for Chelsea to bounce back in the league as well as compete against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final but they need to find more consistency on the pitch.

Why was Potter sacked?

10:33 , Mike Jones

Graham Potter was appointed Chelsea manager in September to take over from Champions League-winning boss Thomas Tuchel, whose relationship with the owners soured after a difficult pre-season tour to the United States.

Senior players later admitted it was the worst pre-season they had experienced.

The club then paid £21.5m in compensation to Brighton in order to release Potter and his backroom staff - a record fee paid by an English club for a manager and second only to the figure stumped up by Bayern Munich in 2021 for Julian Nagelsmann.

There was a belief that Potter could get the best out of the players and that he was a suitable long-term appointment to brig sustained success to Stamford Bridge.

The owners then splashed the cash to bring in a host of expensive signings leaving Chelsea with the largest squad in the Premier League by the end of January.

Recent good performances of Benoit Badiashile, Joao Felix and record-buy Enzo Fernandez suggested their faith in Potter might be the correct decision but those performances didn’t translate into results.

However, Chelsea’s drop into the bottom half as well as their struggles in front of goal that has led to Stamford Bridge being the top-flight ground with the lowest number of goals seen this season.

That sort of form and lack of excitement made his position untenable and the owners let him go on Sunday night.

The stats don’t flatter Potter

10:25 , Mike Jones

Graham Potter has the joint-lowest points-per-game return of any manager to take charge of 20+ games for Chelsea in the Premier League:

1.27 - Graham Potter

1.27 - Glenn Hoddle

1.28 - Ian Porterfield

1.65 - Ruud Gullit

1.67 - Frank Lampard

Should he have been given more time to turn around Chelsea’s form?

Liverpool line up summer move for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher

10:18 , Mike Jones

Jurgen Klopp has identified Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher as a summer transfer target, with the 23-year-old featuring high up on Liverpool’s list for midfield reinforcements.

Klopp is seeking to upgrade Liverpool’s midfield after a difficult season and it is believed that Gallagher has exactly the kind of energy and attributes that could go to another level in the German’s team.

While there would usually be a greater difficulty in bringing an England international from another traditional “big six” Premier League club, Chelsea are under pressure to offload a number of players this summer.

Liverpool line up summer move for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher

Comparing Potter’s tenure to his predecessors

10:10 , Mike Jones

Graham Potter has become the latest casualty of Chelsea’s managerial merry-go-round.

Former owner Roman Abramovich became synonymous with rapid hiring and firing and, though his successor Todd Boehly has frequently said things would be different after his appointment of Potter, results have forced the American’s hand.

Here, the PA news agency looks at Potter’s time in the hot seat and those of his predecessors who lasted less than a year – including several trophy-winning managers:

A look at sacked Graham Potter’s time at Chelsea and those of his predecessors

‘Potter was given time to turn things around’ says Melchiot

10:00 , Mike Jones

Former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live and says that Graham Potter was afforded more time than usual to turn Chelsea’s poor form around and that the owners are not to blame for pulling the trigger on his sacking.

“The timing is always crucial. When you want to change managers the perfect timing is around Christmas but now you see the teams looking at what games they have left,” Melchiot said.

“Certain things were accepted at Brighton but when you come to Chelsea it’s a big shift. Results have no time of delivery, there’s no time to wait.

“One thing we can say, is that if you look at Chelsea’s history, no one else has been given this amount of time. I don’t think you can point a finger at the owners.

“I don’t think there’s any manager at high Premier League level who would have been given that much time. Time is everything a manager wants but they never give you that and you know that when you take the job.”

‘It was a positive performance’: Graham Potter explains latest Chelsea setback

09:53 , Mike Jones

Graham Potter’s Chelsea downfall came following defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

A defensive mistake from Marc Cucurella saw him nod the ball onto the in-form Villa striker, Ollie Watkins, who nestled home a fine finish to send Villa ahead in the first half.

The Blues responded well but lacked a clinical edge in front of goal with the forward line of Kai Havertz, Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk unable to make inroads into the Villa defence.

John McGinn then curled in a wonderful strike from range to put the match beyond the struggling Blues. Here’s the former boss explaining why he thought his team had put in a ‘positive performance’ despite the result:

‘It was a positive performance’: Graham Potter explains latest Chelsea setback

‘Chelsea pressed the panic button’ says Shearer

09:47 , Mike Jones

Former England striker Alan Shearer told Match of the Day 2 that the demand for success at Premier League clubs has led to a “crazy” football environment, where clubs “press the panic button” if they are not achieving short-term success.

“You know the rules when you go into a job these days,” said Shearer when alluding to Graham Potter losing his job at Chelsea.

“But who on earth pays £20m for their services - Potter and his staff- puts them a on a five- to six-year contract, pays them £10m a year, gives them a ridiculous amount of players for a stupid amount of money and then seven months later sacks him?

“It can only happen in football. Anyone with a football brain will tell you signing that amount of players is not going to work.”

Next Chelsea manager?

09:40 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Jose Mourinho

Is it really so unthinkable?

With such a huge turnover of senior personnel and a sense of self that has grown disparate, there might be some logic to bringing back the man who has managed Chelsea in more games than any other this century.

Notwithstanding his record of three Premier League titles and obvious affection for the club and its fans, ‘new Chelsea’ are in desperate need of a personality who knows exactly what the old one was all about.

He recently tasted European success after guiding Roma to Conference League glory last June, and with Roman Abramovich – who sacked Mourinho not once but twice – gone, there would be a clean slate of sorts from which to work. Stranger things have happened.

Next Chelsea manager?

09:34 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Ruben Amorim

Tottenham fans will attest to what a wily operator the Sporting Lisbon coach is, with Amorim’s team taking four Champions League points off them this season and beating them 2-0 with a whirlwind performance in Lisbon last September.

The 38-year-old is yet to truly announce himself as a rising star, and after the Potter experiment the Chelsea board may not be ready to take another punt on potential.

Yet his tactical nous and – maybe just as important after Potter – passion, make him undoubtedly a coach worthy of a grander stage than Portugal’s Primeira Liga.

Next Chelsea manager?

09:28 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Zinedine Zidane

The former Real Madrid boss spoke as recently as last September about how his lack of fluency in English made him apprehensive about taking a Premier League job, but with his outstanding record both domestically and in Europe with Real, Chelsea will likely dig deep to come up with something mouth-watering if they believe he could be tempted.

The 50-year-old has spent nearly two years out of the game since his second spell at the LaLiga giants, a long time for a manager of his pedigree and hunger.

Next Chelsea manager?

09:22 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers parted ways with Leicester following Saturday’s disappointing defeat at Crystal Palace but his history at Chelsea could make him an outside shot for the job.

While the Foxes are now fighting relegation, the Northern Irish manager previously masterminded Leicester to two credible Champions League challenges, not to mention taking Liverpool to within a whisker of the title in 2013/14, meaning he qualifies as a coach of calibre.

He spent four years heading up Chelsea’s youth set-up before moving into management, and knows how to get the best out of senior players.

Next Chelsea manager?

09:16 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Mauricio Pochettino

The Argentinian has been out of work since leaving PSG, where he won last season’s Ligue 1 title, and his availability coupled with a record of success in the Premier League naturally places him near the top of the contenders list.

If Potter ultimately proved unable to rise to the massive challenge of marshalling some of the world’s biggest stars, the appointment of Pochettino – who has counted Lionel Messi amongst his charges – would carry no such risk.

Next Chelsea manager?

09:10 , Mike Jones

With Chelsea now on the market for a new head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter, here’s a look at the contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge:

Julian Nagelsmann

Tottenham target Julian Nagelsmann is the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Potter.

The former Bayern Munich boss led his side to the Bundesliga title in his first season after joining in the summer of 2021, also winning the German Super Cup in 2021 and 2022 before he was sacked and replaced by former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel late last month.

At just 35, the German is several years younger than some members of the Blues squad he would inherit, but the hotly-touted managerial talent’s age does not seem to be an issue for either Premier League side rumoured to be vying for his services.

What was Graham Potter’s Chelsea record?

09:03 , Jamie Braidwood

Graham Potter reached just 31 games with Chelsea, where he saw 12 wins, eight draws and 11 defeats. A win percentage of 39% is among the lowest of Chelsea’s recent Premier League era.

‘Everybody wanted it to work’ says Hayes

09:01 , Mike Jones

Following Chelsea’s Women’s Super League win over Aston Villa on Sunday, boss Emma Hayes spoke about the sacking of the men’s head coach Graham Potter.

She said: “Obviously I’m upset for Graham and the club. I know everybody wanted to make it work.

“If the owners feel like they have to go in another direction then of course, as always, I support the decisions and wish Graham the best.

“With 10 games left to play in the Premier League, I’m sure the boys will do everything to get us back on track. I’m a manager and I’m always gutted when managers lose their job.”

Potter sacking sets new Premier League record

08:46 , Jamie Braidwood

The dismissals of Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter, by Leicester City and Chelsea respectively on Sunday, means this season has set a new record for Premier League sackings.

The number has now reached a staggering 12 with the previous highest total being 10 which occurred in four separate seasons.

West Ham’s David Moyes and Nottingham Forest’s Steve Cooper are the only managers in the bottom half of the table to still be in charge from the start of the season.

What next for Graham Potter?

08:31 , Jamie Braidwood

Despite his sacking from Chelsea, Potter is set to retain serious interest from the rest of the Premier League - with a number of positions set to be available this summer.

Leicester and Tottenham are currently searching for new managers and Potter is the type of coach that could fit into their long-term plans, while Crystal Palace will appoint a permanent boss after Roy Hodgson takes charge until the end of the season.

Is Zinedine Zidane ready for a managerial comeback?

08:18 , Jamie Braidwood

The former Real Madrid boss spoke as recently as last September about how his lack of fluency in English made him apprehensive about taking a Premier League job, but with his outstanding record both domestically and in Europe with Real, Chelsea will likely dig deep to come up with something mouth-watering if they believe he could be tempted.

The 50-year-old has spent nearly two years out of the game since his second spell at the LaLiga giants, a long time for a manager of his pedigree and hunger.

Would Chelsea turn to Pochettino?

08:02 , Jamie Braidwood

The Argentinian has been out of work since leaving PSG, where he won last season’s Ligue 1 title, and his availability coupled with a record of success in the Premier League naturally places him near the top of the contenders list.

If Potter ultimately proved unable to rise to the massive challenge of marshalling some of the world’s biggest stars, the appointment of Pochettino – who has counted Lionel Messi amongst his charges – would carry no such risk.

Will Chelsea beat Tottenham to Julian Nagelsmann?

07:45 , Jamie Braidwood

Tottenham target Julian Nagelsmann is the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Potter. The former Bayern Munich boss led his side to the Bundesliga title in his first season after joining in the summer of 2021, also winning the German Super Cup in 2021 and 2022 before he was sacked and replaced by former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel late last month.

At just 35, the German is several years younger than some members of the Blues squad he would inherit, but the hotly-touted managerial talent’s age does not seem to be an issue for either Premier League side rumoured to be vying for his services.

Next Chelsea manager: Latest odds

07:35 , Jamie Braidwood

The Chelsea board, including owner Todd Boehly, had preached patience when appointing Potter last September - believing he was the right man to lead their long-term project - but despite reaching the Champions League quarter-finals, his time ultimately ran out.

The Stamford Bridge gig is still one of the most sought-after jobs in European football and Julian Nagelsmann, who was himself surprisingly fired by Bayern Munich last month, is the early favourite but the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Zinedine Zidane and Oliver Glasner also appear to be in the running.

Here is a look at the contenders and the latest odds as to who will be named the next Chelsea boss:

Chelsea next manager odds: Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino among candidates

Why Chelsea sacked Graham Potter... and what comes next

07:25 , Jamie Braidwood

There was of course one predictable line that summed up one of the main problems for Graham Potter, amid a story that a number of football figures considered inevitable. Many of the players of course had names for the manager based on his wizard namesake, and there were repeated references to Quidditch. If that would indeed be predictable even if things were going well, the issue was that they were said with a bit of bite when things were going badly - which was often.

It reflects how a core of this expanded squad just never took Potter as seriously as they should a Chelsea manager. Some had to look up his career, and certain transfer targets didn’t know that much about him. That perhaps isn’t such a surprise in a young dressing room as international as this. It did play its part in ensuring Potter was fighting a losing battle from the very start, which meant the 47-year-old didn’t win enough games to justify staying in the job.

Here’s Miguel Delaney’s inside story on why Potter lost his job and where Chelsea will turn to next

Anything but magic... Why Chelsea sacked Graham Potter and what comes next

Chelsea statement after sacking Potter

07:24 , Jamie Braidwood

Chelsea’s statement read: “Chelsea FC has announced that Graham Potter has departed the club. Graham has agreed to collaborate with the club to facilitate a smooth transition. In his time with the club, Graham has taken us to the quarter final of the Champions League, where we will face Real Madrid. Chelsea would like to thank Graham for all his efforts and contribution and wish him well for the future.

Chelsea’s co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali also released a statement, saying: “On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea. 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.

“Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter-final ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high.”

Graham Potter sacked by Chelsea

07:22 , Jamie Braidwood

Graham Potter has been sacked as head coach of Chelsea after just seven months in charge.

When he was appointed as the boss in September, he was hailed as a long-term solution and the board promised they would be patient as the club went through something of a rebuild.

But after record spending in the January transfer window failed to lead to an upturn in Premier League form, the former Brighton manager has been fired.

Chelsea are in the Champions League quarter-finals where they will face Real Madrid, after a hard-fought two-legged victory over Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16, but that wasn’t enough to save his job.

The final straw was the 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday that dropped the Blues into the bottom half of the Premier League. Chelsea won just seven of its 22 Premier League games under Potter and is 12 points off the top four. Bruno Saltor is now taking charge of the team as interim head coach.

Here’s last night’s story from Luke Baker

Chelsea sack Graham Potter after just seven months in charge

Good morning

07:20 , Jamie Braidwood

Just another day at Chelsea, then?

The club are set to begin an “exhaustive search” for a new manager after Graham Potter was sacked less than seven months into the job on Sunday night.

Potter was dismissed following Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa, a result which left the Blues in the bottom half of the Premier League table. The decision was made by co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, and with the full support of co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, but is said to have left members of the Chelsea squad “stunned”.

Chelsea’s new ownership believe sacking Potter, who they recruited from Brighton for £21m after getting rid of Thomas Tuchel earlier this season, gives the team a better chance of defeating Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this month. Potter’s assistant, Bruno Saltor, will now take interim charge ahead of Tuesday night’s game against Liverpool, while a permanent appointment is not said to be “imminent”.

The former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann is believed to be in contention for the job, along with former Tottenham and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino and Brighton’s Roberto de Zerbi.

Follow live updates from Chelsea’s managerial search and the latest reaction to Potter’s sacking in our live blog throughout the day.