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Chelsea coach ‘secretly leaves’ Stamford Bridge as Blues ‘pay up’ contract

Chelsea first-team coach Bruno Saltor has ‘secretly left’ Stamford Bridge only months after Mauricio Pochettino joined the club, according to reports.

The Blues have had a terrible start to the new Premier League season with just one win from their opening six matches.

There had been hope from supporters that Pochettino could have a big impact on their results after Chelsea finished 12th in a turbulent 2022/23 season.

Their latest bad result came on Sunday when Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game as Aston Villa beat them 1-0 with Chelsea down to ten men after Malo Gusto had an initial yellow card upgraded by VAR to red for a challenge on Lucas Digne.

And now there was more potentially negative news coming out of the club on Monday with the Daily Telegraph claiming that first-team coach Saltor – who took caretaker charge of one match last season against Liverpool – has ‘secretly left’ the club.

Despite Chelsea not officially confirming details of his exit, the report claims that the Blues ‘have paid up the 42-year-old’s contract’ and he’s left Stamford Bridge.

“Saltor’s exit was not officially communicated by Chelsea, with the club deciding against making any sort of public announcement.

“It means that two members of the team who joined Chelsea from Brighton with Graham Potter now remain at the club – Ben Roberts, who was given a promotion this summer to work as head of goalkeeping and Kyle Macaulay, who has continued to work as a data analyst.

“Chelsea had paid a world record £21 million to hire Potter and his staff from Brighton just over a year ago, but have now paid up the head coach and three members of his staff – Billy Reid, Bjorn Hamberg and Saltor.

“Saltor’s rollercoaster year at Chelsea in many ways reflects the chaos within Stamford Bridge over the past 12 months.”

Chelsea have only scored five goals in six Premier League matches this season but Pochettino thinks they are just getting a “little bit unlucky”.

“It was a little bit unlucky,” Pochettino said. “How many chances did we have like Aston Villa? They shoot, we block, then they shoot and it touches the post and goes in. For us, how many one v one against (Emiliano) Martinez? We were a little bit unlucky but that happens.

“We need to accept the reality. But it was unlucky because how many chances did they create? Not many. With 10 men we were forcing them to go back.

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De Boer, Sneijder criticize Jordan Henderson over media snub amid Ajax departure Speculation

Former Netherlands internationals Ronald de Boer and Wesley Sneijder have voiced their frustration with former Liverpool star Jordan Henderson, slamming him for refusing to face the media amid reports suggesting he wants to leave Ajax.

Both ex-footballers believe Henderson’s refusal to wear the armband and speak to the press is causing more unrest within the club.

Sneijder, speaking to the press after Ajax’s 2-1 victory over Galatasaray in the UEFA Europa League, called out the English midfielder, stating he was “not man enough” to address the media.

“Don’t be so difficult, man. You play the match, you have the armband on and after the match, you say: ‘Yeah, guys, I don’t know yet. Something is going on. We’ll see.’ Be a man and stand your ground. Right now you get speculation and you create a lot of unrest,” Sneijder said.

De Boer also criticized Henderson, saying, “This is complete nonsense. Henderson wanted to focus on the match, but he did not have to appear in front of the camera before the match. I understand that Pasveer has to do this, but it is simply nonsense. Henderson simply has other things on his mind and apparently does not want to respond to it.”

Recent reports suggest that Henderson is pushing for a move away from Ajax this month, even threatening to go on strike.

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Yobo urges Super Eagles to start strong at 2025 AFCON

Former Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, has emphasized the importance of a strong start for the team at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Yobo, who led Nigeria to AFCON glory in 2013, believes that a good beginning will be key to the team’s success in the competition.

The three-time African champions have been placed in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania.

“A good start is very important. The first two games are very important. It is very, very crucial,” Yobo told ESPN.

The Super Eagles will kick off their campaign against Tanzania’s Taifa Stars in Fez on Tuesday, December 23, before facing Tunisia in their second group match four days later. They will conclude their group stage against Uganda on Tuesday, December 30.