Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino, has called for an end to “stupid rumours” about his future at the Premier League club.
The Blues are back in Europa League contention thanks to Thursday’s 2-0 win over Tottenham.
The win moved them to within three points of the top six and what would likely be a qualifying berth for Europe’s secondary competition.
With another home game to come on Sunday against West Ham there is a sense of momentum building around Pochettino’s squad, which this season is the youngest in the Premier League.
Some reports had suggested European qualification would be a prerequisite if the 52-year-old is to survive into the second half of the two-year deal he signed last summer, after pressure grew in the wake of the 5-0 hammering by Arsenal at the end of April.
But after Champions League-chasing Spurs were comfortably dispatched in west London, there was renewed bullishness to Pochettino’s reflections on his future.
“(The task) is to prove after all these circumstances (injuries) that we deserve to be here next season,” he said. “Who is going to judge me? We need to judge ourselves.
“Enough with this type of rumours. If I have one year more on my contract here, and no one says nothing, suppose I am going be here. (Unless) we finish the season and someone says to me ‘ciao’.
“We don’t know at the moment. I have one year more (on my) contract. But enough about stupid rumours. You need to ask the club if they want me to keep going or not, not to write things that have no sense.”
