The unveiling of new Chelsea manager Graham Potter cancelled due to Queen Elizabeth’s death
According to Football.London, Chelsea have cancelled their press conference that would have covered the unveiling of new manager Graham Potter and previewed the game against Fulham.
The new Blues’ boss was all set to face the media for the first time to talk about his move and also preview the Fulham game. However, the death of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday made the club cancel this press conference as a mark of respect during the mourning period.
The subsequent game against Fulham this weekend has also been postponed, as is every Premier League game for the same reason.
The statement from Chelsea consisted of the below (h/t Football.London):
As the nation enters a period of mourning following the passing of Her Majesty the Queen, we do not feel it is appropriate to proceed with media scheduled for today. We have therefore made the decision to cancel this press conference.
Potter was appointed as the new blues manager on Thursday, a day after Thomas Tuchel was sacked following the defeat against Dinamo Zagreb on the opening night of the Champions League.
There is an expectation that the Champions League game against RB Salzburg on Wednesday will go ahead as scheduled, but the venue could change from Stamford Bridge to somewhere neutral. Dublin is one of the options. This will be done to avoid fixture backlog in a cramped season due to the World Cup in winter.
So, we could witness the Potter unveiling before that game. That would also be the first Chelsea game the new manager will take charge of.
Although the former Swansea City and Brighton and Hove Albion manager has been given a five-year contract and will be offered time by the owners to implement his system, the pressure will be there to get this team back on track after an under-par start to the season.
More Chelsea News:
- Gus Poyet feels Mason Mount should be played in one position for Chelsea
- Graham Potter is proud and excited to take over as new Chelsea boss
- Cristiano Ronaldo created divide between Thomas Tuchel and Todd Boehly before the sacking
Chelsea lost their opening group game of the Champions League and only have 10 points from six league games. They are also currently on a run of three consecutive away defeats in all competitions. This gives an idea of the size of the task Potter has in his hands.