Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler has claimed Chelsea legend Frank Lampard was left stunned by the news of Mauricio Pochettino’s departure.
Chelsea announced Pochettino’s departure last week after an end of season review with the club’s hierarchy, with the Argentine only lasting one season at Stamford Bridge.
The news appeared to come as a huge shock to the players and fans given the strong end to the season, which had seen the Blues finish with five straight wins to secure a top six finish and a return to European competition.
Lampard stunned by Pochettino departure
Seemingly it wasn’t just fans and the current squad that were shocked by the 52-year-old’s departure, but also club legends.
Fowler attended The League Managers’ Association (LMA) awards on Tuesday evening, with Lampard also in attendance, with the news of Pochettino’s departure breaking that evening.
The Former Liverpool star revealed Lampard had an “utter look of disbelief” on his face when he heard the news.
“I was sat next to Blues’ legend Frank Lampard at the League Managers’ Association awards dinner on Tuesday night, and when the news broke that Poch had been sacked a look of utter disbelief spread across his face”, Fowler said in a column for The Daily Mirror.
“Frank wasn’t the only one in the room who was shocked.”
Attention has now turned to appointing a successor with a decision expected by the end of this week with the club having initially drawn up a shortlist of four candidates.
Reports have now stated Kieran McKenna is no longer in the running, and whilst Thomas Frank is still in contention it’s viewed as unlikely he will get the job.
It appears to be a shootout between Roberto De Zerbi and Enzo Maresca for the job, but interestingly top journalist David Ornstein hasn’t mentioned anything about the former Brighton manager being in the running.
It seems Maresca is now the favourite, but this is Chelsea and you can’t help but feel there could be one more twist in the saga.
