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Chelsea players called Graham Potter ‘Harry’ and ‘Hogwarts’ behind his back

Published 11:52 4 Apr 2023 BST

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Potter was sacked on Sunday

Chelsea players called Graham Potter “Harry” and “Hogwarts” behind his back before he was sacked, according to reports. Potter was sacked by Chelsea on Sunday after they were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa the day before, leaving the two-time European champions 11th in the table. The former Brighton boss won 12 and lost 11 of his 31 games in charge after leaving the Amex Stadium to replace Thomas Tuchel in September. Despite leading the Blues to the Champions League quarter finals, where they will face Real Madrid, The Athletic have reported that Potter didn’t command the same respect from the players as his predecessor did. Players behind his back would call the 47-year-old “Harry” and “Hogwarts” behind his back given that they felt he lacked authority at Stamford Bridge. There was also belief in the dressing room that the former Brighton and Swansea boss was a “yes” man and that he may not have had a say in some of the players that joined.

During his short-lived tenure Chelsea spent over £300m in the January transfer window, signing the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and breaking the British transfer record to bring in World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez. It left Potter with over 30 players to deal with on a day-to-day basis, so many that some players had to get changed in the corridors as there wasn’t; enough space in the changing rooms. Bruno Saltor, one of the coaches Potter brought to the club, will take charge on an interim basis until the end of the season, starting with a home game against Liverpool on Tuesday night. Julian Nagelsmann is one of the favourites to be landed the job on a permanent basis while Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique and Zinedine Zidane are other names linked with the vacant role. Related links:

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