09 January 2023 , 18:50
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Chelsea chair Todd Boehly is still fully behind under-fire boss Graham Potter after stepping down as interim sporting director, according to reports.
News of Boehly's decision to stand down from his temporary position emerged on Monday. It did not come as a surprise, as Boehly has spent the last few months appointing a new recruitment team - fronted by technical director Christopher Vivell.
Boehly is facing calls to sack Potter after a dismal start to his Chelsea career. Potter has won just eight of his first 18 games in charge - boasting the worst win percentage of any permanent Blues manager since Glenn Hoddle, who left the club nearly 17 years ago.
Chelsea have won just one of their last eight Premier League games and were dumped out of the FA Cup after suffering a 4-0 defeat by Manchester City on Sunday. They are 10th in the Premier League table, 10 points behind Manchester United in fourth.
Chelsea's last realistic chance of winning a trophy this season is the Champions League, as they face Borussia Dortmund and Jude Bellingham in the last 16. Despite this, Boehly is willing to give Potter time to help the Blues return to the top of European football.
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That's according to the Daily Telegraph, which claims Boehly has been inspired by the success of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. Both managers were given time by their respective owners after struggling to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League.
Todd Boehly is standing by Graham Potter (Chelsea FC via Getty Images)Do you think Chelsea should sack Graham Potter? Let us know in the comments below!
That being said, Potter's situation is a lot different to the ones inherited by Klopp at Liverpool and Arteta at Arsenal. Chelsea were the highest-spenders in Europe last summer and won the Champions League under ex-boss Thomas Tuchel just 18 months ago.
In comparison, Liverpool had not won a league title since 1990 when Klopp took over in October 2015, while Arsenal have not even played in the Champions League since the 2016/17 season. In short, Potter inherited a project with far more recent winning pedigree at Stamford Bridge.
Yet Boehly is sticking by his manager. He handed Potter a five-year contract worth a reported £50million when he arrived from Brighton in September. News of Boehly's support for Potter emerged after their Premier League defeat by City last Thursday.
Chelsea fans made their feelings known about the regime during their loss to City on Sunday. They were heard chanting the name of Roman Abramovich - the former owner who was forced to sell to Boehly's consortium in May due to geopolitical events.
Russian oligarch Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government for allegedly having ties with Vladimir Putin, something he denies. Putin ordered his troops to invade neighbouring Ukraine 11 months ago, triggering the start of a long and violent war in Europe.
Despite this, Abramovich remains a popular figure at Stamford Bridge, as does Tuchel, who was brutally sacked by Boehly after winning the Champions League, European Super Cup and Club World Cup during his 20-month spell in charge.