Mauricio Pochettino has disclosed that he abandoned plans for a birthday celebration with his wife due to his disheartened state following Chelsea’s disappointing performance, narrowly avoiding defeat against Brentford.
Under Pochettino’s command, Chelsea managed to salvage a draw on his birthday (March 2) with a 2-2 result at Brentford’s ground.
The Argentine strategist has been under considerable pressure in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge since his arrival in the summer of 2023. Pochettino has struggled with Chelsea’s unwieldy squad, leading to ineffective performances.
The team currently sits in 11th place in the Premier League, causing Pochettino’s position to become increasingly precarious, with the possibility of dismissal looming at any moment.
Chelsea also faced ridicule for their high-priced lineup losing to Liverpool’s youngsters in the recent League Cup final.
Despite attempting to maintain composure and face challenges, Pochettino’s recent revelation highlights the significant impact Chelsea’s form has had on his mood.
During the drawn match against Brentford (2-2), where Chelsea conceded after taking the lead, disillusioned by his team’s display, the manager was ‘too disheartened to eat,’ hence canceling plans for a birthday dinner with his wife, Karina Grippaldi.
Pochettino told the Evening Standard: “I canceled the (birthday) dinner with my wife. I said I didn’t want to eat and just wanted to stay at home.
Indeed, my wife wasn’t pleased with me, but she understands my mood wasn’t good.
Fortunately, the coaching staff were around at that time. We ended the day by watching the match between Real Madrid and Valencia, indulging in a bit of wine but with little enthusiasm, mainly focused on watching football.
The former Tottenham manager further shared: “In recent days, I’ve been watching every football match, not just the Premier League and the Championship. I’ve been watching the Asian Champions League, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al Nassr, …
Our duty is to win and bring joy to the fans. You feel a responsibility when you can’t do that.”
Chelsea’s next match will be against Newcastle at 3 am on March 12th.