Chelsea player criticizes old boss Mauricio Pochettino over ‘trust’ and is open to leaving

Chelsea player Armando Broja has lambasted former manager Mauricio Pochettino for a lack of ‘faith’ and stated that he is willing to leave the club.

The Blues recently parted ways with Pochettino, a controversial decision that football expert Jamie Carragher called ‘stupid’ in a new Metro.co.uk interview.

Broja looks to have been relieved to see the Argentine go, having seen his opportunities curtailed and being publicly ordered to ‘adjust his body language’.

When asked about his reaction to Pochettino’s body language statement, Broja told The Athletic: “A little bit [surprising], because I’ve been through so much with the injury, and he was saying something about me needing to be more happy.”

‘I felt I might have had more faith and belief from him. I was practically thrust into the Premier League right away, which is difficult to deal with in any case, but there was no preparation time.

‘I’ve always been demanding on myself because I have high expectations, but I’ve always had a positive attitude towards training and games.

I always aim to do my best for the team and win. I am not a player who sulks or complains.

‘I thought when Nicolas Jackson went away with Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations [in early 2024], I’d get a chance to play a lot of games.

‘I started three times in January, but I felt like there were more opportunities for me. People seemed to expect me to sprint past three or four guys and put it in the bottom corner.

‘But I was trying to be fit, and I was thinking, ‘What will happen to me in January?’ There was a lot of conjecture surrounding me at the time about whether I would go on loan.