Chelsea 'power struggle' ignited by divisive Mauricio Pochettino exit

Chelsea's decision to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino has been described as the 'catalyst' and 'tipping point' behind the feud between co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Several reports in the last week have detailed a 'civil war' at boardroom level over the running of the club, with Boehly adversarial to some of the key decisions made by Clearlake's Behdad Eghbali.

The Times now claim that while the two sides have had their differences, it was Clearlake's desire to oust Pochettino that really rubbed Boehly the wrong way.

The American billionaire was a huge supporter of Pochettino and gave him his public support. However, Clearlake were convinced by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart to part company with the Argentine after they presented an 18-page report on why he needed replacing.

Boehly tried to veto the decision, but ultimately caved when Winstanley and Stewart stood firm and were backed in their judgement by Clearlake.

Pochettino led a young Chelsea side to a respectable sixth-place Premier League finish, while they were runners-up in the Carabao Cup and semi-finalists in the FA Cup. He was credited with promoting youth and instilling an entertaining brand of football, though was disliked by some supporters from the off due to his past affiliation with rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Enzo Maresca was drafted in as a successor to Pochettino, who is in line to take charge of the United States men's national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

Beyond the Pochettino issue, Boehly and Clearlake are at odds over who should handle the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge and how they should proceed.

Chelsea's home stadium has a capacity of 40,173, which ranks as the ninth-largest in the Premier League. However, there is little room around the ground to make development, or even a full-blown rebuild, a simple solution.

READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP