Mauricio Pochettino explains decision to join Chelsea despite nightmare 2022-23 campaign as he gets to work at new club

• Pochettino gives first Chelsea interview
• Asked about accepting job
• Chelsea finished 12th in dire 2022-23

WHAT HAPPENED? Pochettino began work at Chelsea on July 3 and gave his first interview since taking the job, with the former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss tasked with turnings things around at Stamford Bridge after a dismal 2022-23 campaign.

The club finished 12th under a combination of Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, but Pochettino admitted it was still an exciting job to accept because of the quality available to him.

WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking to the official Chelsea website, Pochettino said: "It is exciting for us because we love good players, players with the capacity and then talent, but also we want people who want to be with us at this club and be really open to help the club achieve want we want.

"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 that 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."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Pochettino joins the club with Chelsea's squad in a state of flux after an incredible spending spree in the summer 2022 and January 2023 windows – in which the club spent more than £500 million ($635m) on the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and others who are all yet to prove themselves. There have already been some high-profile exits this summer too, with the club in need of trimming their numbers and wage bill.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

ChelseaGetty Images

WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA? Pochettino's first game in charge will be a friendly against Wrexham in the USA on July 19 as he gets into his work during their pre-season tour of the States.