(Reuters) – Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has slammed the “stupid rumours” swirling around his Stamford Bridge future and said it is up to the Premier League club’s hierarchy to decide if he will continue beyond this season.
Since his appointment in May last year, the former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris St Germain coach has taken Chelsea to the final of the League Cup, which they lost 1-0 to Liverpool, as well as the semis of the FA Cup, where they were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City.
Chelsea, who have spent around 1 billion pounds ($1.25 billion) on new players since a U.S.-led takeover in 2022, are eighth in the league standings with four matches to go.
“I wanted to say that it is enough with this type of rumours, that if I have one year more (under) contract here and no-one says nothing (to me), (I) suppose I’m going to be here,” Pochettino told reporters ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against West Ham United.
“Only if then the season finishes and someone says to me ‘ciao’… Because we don’t know at the moment. I suppose that I have one more year contract and that I am going to be here. Enough about the stupid rumours.
“You need to ask the club if they want me to keep going or not.”
With several players out with injuries, Chelsea on Thursday dented Spurs’ hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League with a 2-0 home win.
After hosting London rivals West Ham, Chelsea’s remaining fixtures include relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest, Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth, and Pochettino said his young side will have to build on their recent performance.
“These are the most dangerous games because now we have to keep the same mentality. West Ham are a strong team, with great physicality, and they have had a fantastic season,” he said.
“They have been competing well in Europe and for us, we need to recover and maybe add some fresh legs to our squad because West Ham have had a whole week to prepare — that is why these are the most dangerous games.”
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(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
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