Graham Potter has admitted he felt “humiliated” after lasting just seven months in the Chelsea dugout. The 49-year-old was handed a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge after Todd Boehly had axed Thomas Tuchel, but won just seven of his 22 Premier League matches before leaving the club.
Former Ostersunds manager Potter worked his way up from the Swedish fourth division to guide Chelsea to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
But he was unable to get the best out of his team in west London, despite the fact the Blues spent more than £300million on players during the January transfer window he presided over.
Potter kept a low profile after heading through the Stamford Bridge exit. And in his first major interview since his Blues departure, the ex-Brighton boss explained to The Telegraph: “I take responsibility for the results. I’ve never said I’ve ever been perfect and you live and you learn, and you are grateful for the opportunity and grateful for the experience you had there.
“It’s a bit like a grieving process in a way, it gets better with time. You have to try not to beat yourself up, but you can’t just blame everything on somebody else. You’ve got to find the right balance.
“It’s not nice because of the high-profile nature of it. There’s a humiliation that it doesn’t go well. I was sacked after seven months of a five-year contract after being taken from Brighton, so there’s all that on a human level you have to deal with.
“The first six months were tough because I worked really, really hard to get that type of opportunity. I don’t think it was the only opportunity I was going to get because I left Brighton in a really, really good place.
“So it was about choosing the right opportunity. And I didn’t choose the wrong one, it just didn’t work out.
“I don’t have any regrets over doing it but, at the same time, when anybody loses their job, there’s an element of frustration, anger and maybe bitterness at some point.”
Potter has received offers to return to football from clubs in the Premier League and Europe, as well as national associations.
And he has insisted he is prepared to dive into a new role as soon as a suitable proposal comes his way.
He added: “I’ve felt ready to return for a little while. It still has to be the right thing, but I’m excited for it. I’m excited to hear what the opportunities are and I’ll take each one and judge it on its merits.”
