Chelsea appoint Graham Potter as head coach after sacking Thomas Tuchel

The Blues have moved for the Brighton manager after dismissing Tuchel following defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League

Chelsea have appointed Graham Potter as their new head coach.

The Englishman has signed a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge and will take charge of his first match on Saturday lunchtime against Fulham.

The Blues have turned to the Brighton tactician to replace Thomas Tuchel, who was dismissed on Wednesday morning following defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.

The Blues met Potter’s £16m release clause as compensation to Brighton, who see their talented coach depart after three years.

Potter, described by the club’s owners as an “innovator”, will be joined at Stamford Bridge by assistant Billy Reid, first-team coaches Bjorn Hamberg and Bruno, goalkeeping coach Ben Roberts and assistant head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay.

Reacting to his new job, Potter said: “I am incredibly proud and excited to represent Chelsea FC, this fantastic football club. I am very excited to partner with Chelsea’s new ownership group and look forward to meeting and working with the exciting group of players and to develop a team and culture that our amazing fans can be proud of.

“I would also like to place my sincere thanks to Brighton & Hove Albion for allowing me this opportunity and in particular Tony Bloom and all the players, staff and supporters for their continued support during my time at the club.”

While co-owner and chairman Todd Boehly added: “We are thrilled to bring Graham to Chelsea. He is a proven coach and an innovator in the Premier League who fits our vision for the Club. Not only is he extremely talented on the pitch, he has skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch which will make Chelsea a more successful Club.

“He has had a major impact at his previous Clubs and we look forward to his positive impact at Chelsea. We look forward to supporting him, his coaching team and the squad in realising their full potential in the coming months and years.”

Potter took charge of Brighton in 2019 and has since revolutionised the brand of football on the south coast, guiding the Seagulls to a ninth-placed finish in the Premier League last season.

Potter, who previously worked at Ostersund and Swansea, has drilled his side to produce an expansive game, winning himself and Brighton many fans in recent years.

And after Brighton’s fine start to the season, including a win at Old Trafford against Manchester United, Potter quickly became the leading candidate for the Blues.

Within hours of Tuchel being sacked, Brighton granted the Blues permission to speak to Potter and the 47-year-old subsequently met with co-owner Todd Boehly.

The switch in the dugout comes less than a week after the transfer window closed, with Boehly aggressively backing Tuchel at the time, splashing a record £273m as the likes of Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined.

Chelsea will look to bounce back from their midweek setback and start to pick up momentum in the league after a mixed start when they travel to west London neighbours Fulham in the lunchtime kick-off at Craven Cottage on Saturday.