According to newly appointed manager Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea has been hailed as "the preeminent team in England" during the last decade and a half.
In a span of 10 to 15 years, the Blues have achieved remarkable success, clinching an impressive total of 21 trophies since 2004. Among their notable victories are five Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League triumphs. This outstanding track record places Chelsea at the forefront of English football, solidifying their status as one of the dominant forces in the game. However, they sacked two managers last season and finished 12th.
“In the last 10, 12, 15 years, Chelsea is the greatest team in England,” former Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur boss Pochettino said.
“I know very well the Premier League and what the culture of Chelsea means. I think our fans are excited to again be on the road of trying to win.”
During his tenure as Paris St. Germain manager, the 51-year-old Argentine won three titles, including the Ligue 1 championship in 2021–2022.
Despite spending his previous six years in England without a single victory, he did help Spurs advance to the 2019 Champions League final.
“We are excited to work with a very young team, with a different approach than in the past,” he said.
“But I think we all need to understand that we have to work really hard and create a very good atmosphere at the training ground to build success for the team in the next few years.
“For me, it is a pleasure and honour to now be involved with Chelsea Football Club. We are so excited, and I know Chelsea very well, it is one of the greatest clubs in the world. So of course, it was easy for us to make the decision to move here.”
Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were fired by the team's new owner Todd Boehly in his first season, despite the club spending more than all of the clubs in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue 1 combined in January.
The team that Pochettino has taken over has undergone more change this summer with the departures of Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, and N'Golo Kante to teams in Saudi Arabia, the agreement of England midfielder Mason Mount to join Manchester United, the transfer of Ruben Loftus-Cheek to AC Milan, and the acquisition of Mateo Kovacic by champions Manchester City.
France striker Christopher Nkunku has arrived from RB Leipzig for £52m and Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson joined on an eight-year contract from Villarreal.
Pochettino said a “very clear project” is now in place which may take time but Chelsea still need to “be at the top”.
He added: “From the beginning, the owners and sporting directors were very clear about the project and we were very excited to join them in this project.
“We are here to try to help the club and the fans. In the end, the most important thing in football is for them to be happy and to feel proud of us and in the way we approach games. The players need to know that.
“Of course, there are always up and downs in the history of football, but Chelsea is a club where it is impossible to have these up and downs.
“We need to be sure that we bring what the club needs to be at the top because the history of the club is to be at the top.”
