The coach of Chelsea, Graham Potter, and his family received anonymous death threats after the team’s results collapsed, he told reporters on Friday. Chelsea are tenth in the table with two wins in their last 14 games and have scored just once at home this year.
“Even though I had the support, I got some nasty emails wanting me dead and my kids dead, so obviously it’s not good,” said the 47-year-old former Brighton & Hove Albion manager. “The issue for me is, ‘OK, how do I act?’ That’s what I always come back to. The higher you go, the more pressure you have on how you are as a person.”
Since Potter took over in September following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea have won nine of their 25 games.
“I want to succeed here, but the threats are not good. You can answer this one of two ways. I can say I don’t care, but you’ll know I’m lying. Everyone cares what people think, because we’re hardwired to be socially connected.”
“Ask my family how life has been for me and for them. It hasn’t been good at all. I understand that the fans go home and are upset that the team didn’t win, but I assure you that my life for the last three or four months have been quite unpleasant, apart from the fact that I am very grateful for this experience.
As for the death threats to his family, Potter says a line has been crossed. “You just have to put it aside and luckily it was an isolated incident and it could have come from anywhere,” Potter told Sky Sports. “It’s not nice. You accept criticism, you accept being booed if you lose, you absolutely accept whatever comes your way. But there’s a line…”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
