Mauricio Pochettino Issues Chelsea Quit Threat: 'If I Leave, It's Not the End of the World'

Mauricio Pochettino has acknowledged the possibility of leaving Chelsea at the end of the season if he feels that both he and the club are not progressing in the desired direction.

Since his appointment last summer, Pochettino has faced continuous scrutiny. Despite substantial investment in the squad, the five-time Premier League champions have remained in mid-table for much of the season, trailing fourth-placed Aston Villa by 13 points.

Recent victories against Spurs and West Ham have revived Chelsea's hopes of securing a top-six finish. Winning their remaining three matches against Nottingham Forest, Brighton, and Bournemouth could potentially see European football return to Stamford Bridge.

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However, uncertainties persist, particularly regarding the future of Conor Gallagher, who has yet to reach an agreement on a new contract. There are also concerns about the club's ability to comply with the league's profit and sustainability regulations next season.

Pochettino is scheduled to meet with the club's decision-makers following the final game of the campaign against Bournemouth next Sunday. While the 52-year-old expects to continue, he concedes that a parting of ways would not be catastrophic.

Pochettino said: “If we are happy, perfect. But it’s not only if the owner is happy, or the sporting directors are happy. If we are happy, we need to ask also, because maybe we say we are not happy.

“If we assess the situation and we are not happy, then we need to split.

“But it’s not going to be the first time that a coaching staff decides at the end of a season not to keep going. But at this stage, it goes in the opposite way.

“They can say tomorrow: ‘Stay here’. Or maybe tomorrow I can say: ‘Look, I want to leave’. It’s two parties that can make a decision.

“If Chelsea are not happy or the sporting directors are not happy, maybe we are not happy, because we arrive here with a job to do but then, it’s not happened how we expected. So maybe we are not happy.

“I’m not saying that I am not happy. But always it’s from one side, but okay, maybe there’s another side.

“Maybe if we leave here, it’s not a problem, it’s not going to be the end of the world.”

Pochettino expressed that while he remains unaffected by the ongoing speculation about his future, providing reassurance to those working alongside him at the club would be beneficial.

He stated, "You need to dispel the rumors if they are untrue, otherwise, the speculation persists for other reasons. If you ask whether it's affecting me, it's not. However, is it impacting those working with us? I believe so because ultimately, you can dispel the rumors, dismiss me, and that's not an issue. It's a common occurrence in many clubs."

With key players like Reece James and Christopher Nkunku returning from injury, and emerging talents such as Gallagher, Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, and Noni Madueke making significant contributions to the team, Pochettino emphasized that his first year in charge should be assessed only at the conclusion of the season.

“I was talking after the Tottenham game, and said to assess us at the end of the season because, maybe 20 people would assess us in a different way,” he said.

“But they need to take the decision. If they expect to win the Champions League, impossible, because we did not play in the Champions League this season.

“We arrived. It wasn’t us. You cannot blame us for not playing in the Champions League. I always try to be positive, I am going to be positive, I want to be positive, and of course, I project myself here for a long period – more than only the one year that it says in my contract.

“Because we really trust in our work. If that doesn’t happen, yes, that’s not in our hands.”

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