Chelsea's season of two halves ends with a European place guaranteed but will it be enough to save Mauricio Pochettino? When you're in the stadium you HAVE to support your own players - Listen to the It's All Kicking Off! podcast By Kieran Gill Published: 18:20, 19 May 2024 | Updated: 00:18, 20 May 2024 e-mail 30 shares 26 View comments Mauricio Pochettino 's presence on the pitch after Chelsea confirmed their status as the country's sixth-best team was brief. Certainly it did not carry the feel of a manager bidding adieu. He watched the departing Thiago Silva deliver a tearful speech to the supporters, waved at Mrs Pochettino in the West Stand, joked with Moises Caicedo about his spectacular strike from the halfway line, then disappeared down the tunnel before the lap of appreciation had begun.
Shame, really, as Pochettino would have been worthy of some recognition from the supporters for how Chelsea turned this season around to finish as high as sixth - a position which guarantees them European football when that seemed so unlikely earlier this year. Which competition they will compete in, we cannot say for sure. If Manchester City win the FA Cup final, it will be the Europa League .
If Manchester United win, the Europa Conference League awaits. Pochettino can only hope that is enough to save him when he is expected to meet with the owners this week to review the campaign. The 52-year-old Argentine revealed after this match that he had dinner with Todd Boehly on Friday nigh.
