Bruno Saltor, Chelsea’s new interim first-team coach, has admitted the aftermath of mentor Graham Potter’s sacking has been ‘really difficult’.
Potter brought Saltor with him from Brighton in September last year, but on Sunday, after just shy of seven months, it was announced he would be leaving the club after a disastrous 31-game spell in charge.
His one-time assistant was immediately announced as the club’s new interim manager, with Saltor taking over duties while a thorough process is conducted to find Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s third manager of a reign that is yet to celebrate its first birthday.
Speaking ahead of the club’s Premier League clash with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, Saltor spoke of his sadness at seeing Potter and his long-time assistant Billy Reid depart the club.
‘It’s been difficult at every single level,’ he said. ‘You have to deal with the press conference, the players, the relationship with Graham and Billy, how it effects their family. A really difficult 12 hours.
‘I just spoke to Graham five minutes ago and he sent his regards to all of you. Obviously it’s been a difficult 24 hours for all of us, for the staff, for the families and now we just have to deal with the situation.’
Perhaps shining light on the process that following Potter’s sacking, with the club writing in their statement on Sunday night that the former Brighton boss had agreed to ‘collaborate to ensure a smooth transition’, Saltor revealed Potter deemed it appropriate for him to take the reins.
‘If I am here right now, it’s because Graham and the club they thought it was the right step and I’m here just trying to help the club and trying to be the most professional I can,’ he said.
Asked to expand on the ‘collaborate aspect of the statement, he added: ‘It probably means that I’m here right now. Just trying to keep the process going and we just try to go along the best we can and I think Graham did an amazing job. Football is a really complex business and we have to keep going.’
The former Brighton player also revealed he had spoken to the owners, but not the players.
However, when asked about Tuesday’s clash, he said that it was an ‘opportunity’ for the players ahead of the final straight.
Chelsea’s chances of getting into the Champions League have been all-but extinguished, but they remain in the competition and face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
‘See it as an opportunity for the players,’ he said. ‘It’s about winning and preparation helps.’
Having already fired two managers, it is the owners’ objective now to find a name who is able to get the best out of a playing squad that has gone through monumental change in the last seven or eight months.
Over £600m has been spent on the squad, with a host of young players brought in as the club look to build a side that can compete for years to come.
Former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann is the leading contender to take over, with contact having already been made through intermediaries.
