Luis Enrique 'wanted Chelsea job straight after Potter was sacked'
Luis Enrique ‘wanted to take charge of Chelsea IMMEDIATELY after Graham Potter’s sacking to lead them against Real Madrid’, and was left ‘disappointed’ by Todd Boehly’s decision to name Frank Lampard as caretaker manager
- Chelsea held talks with Luis Enrique after sacking Graham Potter on April 2
- Enrique was ready to start straight away and wanted to manage against Madrid
- Chelsea opted to place ex-boss Frank Lampard in caretaker charge instead
Luis Enrique was ready to take charge of Chelsea earlier this month and was disappointed by Todd Boehly’s decision to hand Frank Lampard the manager’s job until the end of the season, according to reports.
The Blues sacked Graham Potter on April 2 after running out of patience with the Englishman following a miserable campaign. They swiftly started their search for his successor and Enrique emerged as a frontrunner for the role.
However, co-owner Boehly made the shock call to put Lampard in caretaker charge last week as the 44-year-old returned to the Stamford Bridge dugout just over two years after being sacked by former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Lampard’s appointment appeared to have been given the green light due to a lack of candidates being willing to take over during the season as they preferred to wait until the summer instead. Yet this was not the case with Enrique, who wanted to take the job straight away, as reported by AS.
Enrique, who has been out of work since leaving his role as Spain national team coach after the World Cup, had his sights set on getting back on the touchline and was highly motivated to lead Chelsea in their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.
Luis Enrique wanted to replace Graham Potter as Chelsea manager earlier this month
Chelsea named Frank Lampard as their caretaker manager instead, but have lost all three matches since he returned to the club
Enrique was disappointed by Todd Boehly’s decision as he wanted to be in the dugout against Real Madrid
He held a video call with Chelsea’s hierarchy just two days after Potter’s sacking, and also travelled to London to meet with Boehly and Co. about the vacant position.
Despite these conversations, Chelsea still opted to hold off and went with Lampard instead, leaving Enrique frustrated.
The west London club’s decision to bring back Lampard has failed to pay off so far.
Chelsea have lost both of their Premier League matches under Lampard against Wolves and Brighton, while they were beaten 2-0 by Madrid in the opening leg of their Champions League tie on Wednesday.
They will need to produce a miraculous comeback to knock out the holders in the return leg on Tuesday, and failure to do so would ensure that they finish the season trophyless.
Although he was snubbed earlier this month, Enrique is still one of the leading contenders to be Chelsea’s next manager.
He faces competition from Julian Nagelsmann, who was fired by Bayern Munich last month.
Nagelsmann is still only 35 and is viewed as one of the brightest young managers in European football, but there are a couple of factors that could help Enrique land the job.
The Spaniard is admired by club captain Cesar Azpilicueta who has previously praised the work Enrique did with the national team.
Enrique may also be seen as an asset in helping Chelsea land Barcelona midfielder Gavi who is a key transfer target for the Blues this summer.
Chelsea have reportedly spoken to Gavi’s representatives about a potential move, and Enrique may able to use his influence to get a deal over the line having coached the teenager at international level.
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