Mauricio Pochettino’s first game as Chelsea manager
Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino following the conclusion of their dismal 2022/23 season.
The Blues limped to the finish line under interim boss Frank Lampard in a campaign of record lows under new ownership, but the arrival of Pochettino brings fresh optimism to a club that has failed on every level over the last 12 months.
The Argentine has a bloated squad to cut down at Stamford Bridge and focus now turns to when he will take charge of his new club for the first time.
Before Premier League football resumes in the 2023/24 season, Pochettino will take charge of the Chelsea squad for the first time over pre-season.
The Blues are flying over to the United States to face a number of Premier League rivals as well as German opposition.
They first clash with National League champions Wrexham in Chapel Hill before taking on Brighton, Newcastle and Fulham. Their final game is in Chicago, where Bundesliga runners-up Borussia Dortmund await them.
Pochettino will get a good look at some of the exciting youngsters Chelsea have signed over the past year or so but failed to get the best out of. Big things are expected from Mykhailo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez and Christopher Nkunku to name but a few, while stars from Europe like Andre Onana and Victor Osimhen could be targeted in the transfer market.
Chelsea 2023/24 pre-season fixtures
|
Date / Kick-off Time |
Fixture |
Location |
|---|---|---|
|
19/07/23 – 00:00 |
Chelsea vs Wrexham |
Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill |
|
22/07/23 – 00:00 |
Chelsea vs Brighton |
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
|
26/07/23 – 01:15 |
Chelsea vs Newcastle |
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
|
30/07/23 – 19:45 |
Chelsea vs Fulham |
FedEx Field, Landover |
|
02/08/23 – 00:30 |
Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund |
Soldier Field, Chicago |
The 2023/24 Premier League season will begin on the weekend of Saturday 12 August 2023, though teams won’t know their opponents until the fixtures are released on Thursday 15 June.
Chelsea’s finish of 12th in the Premier League means there will be no European football at Stamford Bridge in 2023/24. Pochettino’s hopes of silverware in his first season at the club will instead be in domestic competitions.
Manchester City are the team to beat in the Premier League – they finished 45 points ahead of Chelsea after swatting away competition from Arsenal.
The Carabao Cup will begin in the week commencing August 7 but Chelsea won’t feature in the FA Cup until the start of 2024.