Credit: Twitter

Credit: Twitter

Mauricio Pochettino, the new Chelsea coach, hosted a barbecue for his new staff at the club's training ground in Cobham on Tuesday, as he looked to foster a positive atmosphere and team spirit ahead of the new season. Pochettino, who replaced Frank Lampard as the Blues boss, had already invited all the Chelsea staff – football and non-football – to a barbecue on Monday, his first day at work.

Pochettino, who previously managed Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, is known for his emphasis on creating and working in a good environment and culture, and he wasted no time in trying to do the same at Chelsea. The former Spurs boss also wanted to get to know his new colleagues and players better, as he prepares for a grueling 2023-24 season.

However, this isn't the first time Pochettino has hosted a pre-season fest for his new club staff. Barbecues were a common pre-season and post-season tradition during his time at Spurs before he was sacked in November 2019. Pochettino even got a personalized barbecue with 'he's magic, you know' engraved in the appliance in honor of the song Tottenham fans used to sing to him on matchday.  One staff member said, “It was a great touch and a really good way for the head coach to introduce himself. It was very relaxed.”

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Pochettino, who will start work with some of Chelsea’s players in the coming days, underlined the importance of creating and developing a culture at the club. The Argentine coach said, "We need to be a team that shows togetherness, cares about the club, cares about the fans, and that fights until the end for the badge. That’s the most important thing. The fans need to feel that all the players involved in the game are going to die for the club. That is the most important thing to create this good feeling and for sure feel proud of each other."

Pochettino will be hoping that his barbecue will help him bond with his new team and create a winning mentality at Chelsea, who finished 12th in the Premier League last season. Pochettino has yet to win a major trophy as a manager but led Spurs to a Champions League final in 2019. The attack-minded coach will be looking to revive this star-studded side after a dismal 2022-23 season.