Mauricio Pochettino confirmed as Chelsea manager

Former Spurs and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino has been confirmed as Chelsea's new manager.

The club had a disastrous season, involving three different managers, and finished 12th on 44 points despite recently spending over £600m on players.

Pochettino has been given a two-year contract, with the club having an option to extend it another year.

He will start at Stamford Bridge on 1 July.

"Mauricio's experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward," said a Chelsea statement.

"He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages. His ethos, tactical approach and commitment to development all made him the exceptional candidate."

Pochettino was linked to a return to his former club Tottenham, who are also desperately searching for a new manager, but the Argentine will now join their London rivals.

It looks like being a tough job, with the huge amount splashed by US owner Todd Boehly failing to translate to success on the pitch.

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Thomas Tuchel, who led the Blues to Champions League glory, was sacked at the start of the season and replaced by ex-Brighton boss Graham Potter.

Potter was sacked in April, just seven months into his contract, after winning just seven of his 22 Premier League games.

Chelsea legend Frank Lampard was drafted in as caretaker until the end of the season but the club continued its downward spiral.

The 12th place Premier League finish was the first time it had finished in the bottom half of the table for 27 years.