Chelsea has parted ways with manager Graham Potter after Saturday’s 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa left it in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
The Blues sit 11th on the Premier League table, but are still alive in the UEFA Champions League and start a quarterfinal tie against Real Madrid on April 12.
Potter was in charge less than seven months after taking the reins from Thomas Tuchel, the Champions League-winning boss fired by new owner Todd Boehly after a dissatisfactory start to the season.
[ MORE: Newcastle controls Manchester United 2-0 ]
The firing comes the same day that Leicester City parted ways with Brendan Rodgers, and one day after Tuchel made a memorable Bayern Munich debut by smacking former club Borussia Dortmund.
Longtime Brighton player and assistant Bruno Saltor followed Potter to Chelsea and will lead the club on an interim basis, but Chelsea will know there are a lot of available names in the market. Julian Nagelsmann was fired by Bayern, Antonio Conte left Tottenham, and of course there’s Rodgers.
Eleven teams have changed managers this season, two of them doing it twice. That’s the most firings or departures in a single Premier League season.
Who is Bruno Saltor?
It may be overboard to call him the Premier League’s original Bruno, but maybe not?
While Bruno Fernandes and Bruno Guimaraes are currently starring for top four sides, Bruno Saltor was known by just his first name when he helped Brighton get promoted into the Premier League.
Saltor, 42, got his start in his native Catalonia with Espanyol, and played with Gimnastic, Lleida, Almeria, and Valencia before signing for Brighton in 2012.
He made 235 appearances for Brighton, mostly in the Championship. Thirty-nine of those came in the Premier League before he retired to join Brighton’s coaching staff.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 16: Bruno Saltor Grau of Brighton and Hove Albion is challenged by Ashley Cole of Derby County during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Derby County at Amex Stadium on February 16, 2019 in Brighton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Chelsea statement on Graham Potter’s exit
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.
Bruno Saltor will take charge of the team as Interim Head Coach.
Co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: ‘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.’
