Graham Potter has asked Brighton & Hove Albion fans to forgive him for leaving the club to take over as manager of Chelsea. 47-year-old Potter agreed to terms with Stamford Bridge based club on a five-year contract on September 8, succeeding Thomas Tuchel, who was fired earlier in the week.
The Englishman said in an open letter published on Brighton’s website on Sunday that he would cherish “three wonderful years” at the club but accepted that some fans would not forgive him.
“This has been three wonderful years with a club that has changed my life and I want to take a moment to say goodbye to all of you who have made it such a special period of my career.
I bid farewell to a great club and one that will always mean so much to me and my family. For some I recognise that the change that comes so suddenly in football can be hard to accept.”
“I may not be able to persuade you all to forgive my departure – but I would at least like to take the chance to say thank you.”
The former Östersunds and Swansea manager led Brighton to ninth place finish in the Premier League last season, the club’s highest-ever top-flight finish, and they currently sit fourth. He praised his players for going “above and beyond” and thanked the Seagulls’ fans, board of directors, and club staff.
“I hope that you will understand that at this stage of my career, I felt I had to grasp a new opportunity. I would like to thank [the chairman] Tony Bloom, [the chief executive] Paul Barber and the directors for the opportunity they gave me three years ago and then the unswerving support that came with it. My gratitude also to Dan Ashworth and David Weir, two first-class technical directors.”
Potter said he and the club had “some brilliant moments,” citing victories over Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United, and he congratulated his successor, “whoever that may be.”
Potter, who took over from Thomas Tuchel, understands that a top-four Premier League finish, as well as a decent run in the Champions League, is required for the season to be considered a success. The Blues are sixth in the league after six games, three points behind Potter’s former club, Brighton, who are fourth, and they lost their first Champions League game on Tuesday at Dinamo Zagreb, which proved to be Tuchel’s final game.
Todd Boehly, who was part of the group that bought the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, is said to see parallels between Potter and Andrew Friedman, whom his baseball team hired as president of sporting operations in 2014. Friedman previously assisted the Tampa Bay Rays in punching above their weight in the American League East Division.
Potter has been given a five-year contract, and he may find solace in the fact that the Dodgers have stuck by their only managerial hire, Dave Roberts since Boehly became involved. In 2015, Roberts was brought in to replace Don Mattingly.
Chelsea’s ownership has a 10-year revenue growth plan that they hope will not be derailed by one season without the Champions League.
