Former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has called on the club's BlueCo ownership group to clearly communicate their long-term strategy, as fan discontent mounts over the team's inconsistent performances and lavish spending.
Pochettino speaks out on Chelsea's direction
Speaking on The Overlap's Stick to Football podcast alongside Gary Neville, Ian Wright, Jill Scott, and Roy Keane, Pochettino addressed whether Chelsea's owners have a coherent plan. He stated: "I think they have a plan, it's completely different to what Chelsea was in the past with Roman Abramovich. It's true that it's not easy because it's difficult for people to understand."
The Argentine coach emphasised the need for transparency: "In a new project, I am thinking, 'how can we show the plan and what can we achieve with that'. Sometimes in football it's difficult to explain because the only people that listen are in the boardroom, but there are too many people making decisions. Football is not an ordinary business and sometimes people struggle. But I think they need to explain the plan."
When pressed by Neville on whether he understood the blueprint, Pochettino replied: "What I understood didn't happen after." Ian Wright intervened as Pochettino appeared uneasy, but the former Spurs boss continued: "Chelsea was about winning, you can't go in there and finish in a certain position and accept it. It was about winning. In the past, they won Champions Leagues, had the best and most experienced players. But that was a completely different project. The people need to explain the plan and how it's different."
Pochettino's tenure and reflections
Pochettino took over in May 2023 after a disastrous 2022/23 season that saw Chelsea finish 12th under four different managers. Despite reaching the Carabao Cup final, an FA Cup semi-final, and a sixth-place Premier League finish, he departed and was replaced by Enzo Maresca. Reflecting on his time, Pochettino said: "When we arrived the team was 12th in the Premier League, we didn't play in Europe, we was in the process between one ownership group to another and there were things we needed to put in place."
He added: "Why I think I am disappointed with things internally is that under our assessment and our vision, it was a normal process to create something solid for the future. We wanted to add quality but not as quick as the people wanted to go. We finished sixth winning the last five or six games, we arrived to the final of the Carabao Cup, we played Manchester City in the semi-final of the FA Cup, in both games we deserved to win. But because of experience we didn't win. I felt we were in a good trajectory and our vision was heading in the right direction."
BlueCo's era and ongoing struggles
Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired Chelsea for £4.25 billion in 2022, the club has spent over £1.5bn on transfers, focusing on young talent with long contracts. However, results have been mixed. Maresca won the Conference League and Club World Cup but was sacked in January 2026 after a poor start. Liam Rosenior's brief tenure ended last week after three consecutive defeats. Interim boss Calum McFarlane now leads the team into an FA Cup final against Manchester City.
Fan frustration has grown, with supporters questioning the lack of silverware and stability. Pochettino's comments add to the pressure on BlueCo to clarify their vision for restoring Chelsea to its former glory.
