Embattled former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, of Trinidad and Tobago, believes his “nightmare is over,” after the United States Supreme Court and a lower court threw out the convictions of two defendants linked to football corruption in September last year.
According to a January 27, 2024 New York Times article, these rulings “cast doubt on the legal basis for a host of prosecutions” surrounding those involved in scandals coming out of the December 2015 raids on FIFA officials in Zurich, Switzerland.
In June 2011, Warner, who was then provisionally suspended by the world football governing body for alleged corruption, resigned from all his international football posts. Warner was one of 14 top FIFA officials and corporate executives to be accused of corruption, fraud and money laundering while he was FIFA vice-president.
Warner was later indicted in 29 charges of corruption in the US in 2015. Extradition proceedings against him remain on hold.
In an interview with i95.5FM last Thursday, Warner said the court’s ruling to toss the convictions of an ex-21st Century Fox executive and sports marketing company on corruption charges in a case involving FIFA has him feeling relieved.
That September case, according to the New York Times, is one in which “the two defendants benefited from two recent Supreme Court rulings that had rejected federal prosecutors’ application of the law at play in the soccer cases and offered rare guidance on what is known as honest services fraud.
“The defendants in the soccer trial had been found to have engaged in bribery that deprived organizations outside the US of their employees’ honest services, which constituted fraud at the time. But the judge ruled that the court’s new guidance meant that those actions were no longer prohibited under American law.”
On this decision, Warner declared his agreement.
“I am in firm agreement with the US Supreme Court statement on the matter. I always knew the US were wrong to attack and destroy FIFA and destroy people’s lives just because they didn’t get a World Cup venue,” Warner said, referring to the US' failed 2022 World Cup bid.
That World Cup bid was won by Qatar, but several FIFA officials, including Warner, were accused of accepting bribes.
“It is utterly ridiculous for people to be imprisoned and to be charged for being a member of a private organisation as FIFA, and to be charged by the US government on what they did or did not do during their stay in FIFA,” Warner argued.
“I am feeling relieved. My life has been destroyed, my family’s life has been destroyed and I have spent tonnes of money on this matter. All I did was to tell FIFA that it is time to change the paradigm of giving the World Cup to Europe and South America. I said to them, ‘just go to the Middle East’.
“It is this that has caused me to be where I am today. The irony is that people in the Middle East, thanks to my efforts and others, Qatar (which hosted the World Cup in 2022) has produced one of the best World Cups this world has ever seen. So, I feel vindicated in a sense for what I have done, but the price that I have paid for that is overbearing,” he added.
Sevilla have conveyed their “disgust” after winger Lucas Ocampos appeared to be touched in what the club described as an “obscene act” by a home supporter in their victory at Rayo Vallecano.
The Argentina international, who has called for LaLiga to take the incident seriously, appeared to be poked in the backside by a fan as he was preparing to take a throw-in in the 32nd minute of Monday’s contest.
His club released a statement expressing their support for the player and calling for LaLiga to take “appropriate measures” in response to the incident, while Rayo have condemned the act and are in the process of identifying the fan in question.
A statement on Sevilla’s official website read: “On the obscene and completely inappropriate act suffered by Lucas Ocampos at the Estadio de Vallecas:
“We would like to place on record our disgust at the incident that occurred on Monday during our match against Rayo Vallecano, in which our player Lucas Ocampos was subjected to an obscene and completely inappropriate act by a home fan.
“We hope that the appropriate measures outlined in the regulations will be taken to prevent such behaviour from happening again on a football field and we have expressed this to LaLiga directly.
“These gestures and behaviours should not be allowed in our competition if we aspire to be the best league in the world.
“We send our full support to Lucas Ocampos, who showed composure and immense professionalism, despite the unacceptable behaviour of the fan who harassed him.”
Ocampos, 29, who turned around to confront the fan, also demanded action after his side’s 2-1 victory, telling DAZN: “I hope the league takes it seriously, like it takes racism, like it takes those things .
“I don’t think all the Rayo people are like that, because the truth is that they always treat us with respect.
“There is always a fool and I hope it doesn’t happen in other areas, because if it happens in women’s football, we know what can happen.
“I restrained myself because I have two daughters and I hope that tomorrow it doesn’t happen to them. Let’s hope they make the decision they have to make and I hope that a fool like this doesn’t stain the fans, because the truth is they behaved very well.”
Rayo released a statement saying they “condemned” the behaviour of the fan.
The statement added: “This isolated action is solely the individual responsibility of the fan who carried it out, with neither Rayo Vallecano nor any of the other almost 15,000 spectators who filled the Estadio de Vallecas for the match against Sevilla having any responsibility for it and who had exemplary behaviour.
“Rayo Vallecano at this time is working to identify the fan so that, if he is a season ticket holder, it can adopt the appropriate disciplinary measures according to the internal regulations.
“Rayo Vallecano has always promoted the maximum respect towards referees, footballers and coaches. Individual actions like this are opposite to the values that Rayo Vallecano promotes.”
The PA news agency has contacted LaLiga for comment.
Sevilla have conveyed their “disgust” after winger Lucas Ocampos appeared to be touched in what the club described as an “obscene act” by a home supporter in their victory at Rayo Vallecano.
The Argentina international, who has called for LaLiga to take the incident seriously, appeared to be poked in the backside by a fan as he was preparing to take a throw-in in the 32nd minute of Monday’s contest.
His club released a statement expressing their support for the player and calling for LaLiga to take “appropriate measures” in response to the incident, while Rayo have condemned the act and are in the process of identifying the fan in question.
A statement on Sevilla’s official website read: “On the obscene and completely inappropriate act suffered by Lucas Ocampos at the Estadio de Vallecas:
“We would like to place on record our disgust at the incident that occurred on Monday during our match against Rayo Vallecano, in which our player Lucas Ocampos was subjected to an obscene and completely inappropriate act by a home fan.
“We hope that the appropriate measures outlined in the regulations will be taken to prevent such behaviour from happening again on a football field and we have expressed this to LaLiga directly.
“These gestures and behaviours should not be allowed in our competition if we aspire to be the best league in the world.
“We send our full support to Lucas Ocampos, who showed composure and immense professionalism, despite the unacceptable behaviour of the fan who harassed him.”
Ocampos, 29, who turned around to confront the fan, also demanded action after his side’s 2-1 victory, telling DAZN: “I hope the league takes it seriously, like it takes racism, like it takes those things .
“I don’t think all the Rayo people are like that, because the truth is that they always treat us with respect.
“There is always a fool and I hope it doesn’t happen in other areas, because if it happens in women’s football, we know what can happen.
“I restrained myself because I have two daughters and I hope that tomorrow it doesn’t happen to them. Let’s hope they make the decision they have to make and I hope that a fool like this doesn’t stain the fans, because the truth is they behaved very well.”
Rayo released a statement saying they “condemned” the behaviour of the fan.
The statement added: “This isolated action is solely the individual responsibility of the fan who carried it out, with neither Rayo Vallecano nor any of the other almost 15,000 spectators who filled the Estadio de Vallecas for the match against Sevilla having any responsibility for it and who had exemplary behaviour.
“Rayo Vallecano at this time is working to identify the fan so that, if he is a season ticket holder, it can adopt the appropriate disciplinary measures according to the internal regulations.
“Rayo Vallecano has always promoted the maximum respect towards referees, footballers and coaches. Individual actions like this are opposite to the values that Rayo Vallecano promotes.”
The PA news agency has contacted LaLiga for comment.
Chelsea will play Ajax in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals, with defending champions Barcelona potential opponents in the semis.
Emma Hayes’ side will play the first leg of the last-eight tie in the Netherlands on March 19 or 20 before hosting the second the following week.
The winner will then over two legs in April face the victors of the quarter-final between Barca – 3-2 winners against Wolfsburg in the 2022-23 final for their second title – and Norwegian outfit Brann.
Chelsea, whose best run in the competition came when they were runners-up in 2021, losing 4-0 to Barca in the final, are aiming for glory in what is the final season of Hayes’ lengthy tenure before she steps down as boss to take charge of the United States national team.
The Blues were unbeaten as they topped Group D, which also featured Hacken, Paris FC and Real Madrid, while Ajax were second in Group C.
The other quarter-finals see record eight-time champions Lyon face Benfica and Paris St Germain take on Hacken.
The final is set to take place at Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames on May 25.
Tivoli Gardens, for the second time this season, downed neighbours Arnett Gardens 3-1, but the manner in which they did it on this occasion would certainly have sent a message to their other rivals in the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (WNJPL).
Not only did Tivoli Gardens have to come from behind in the marquee Monday night encounter at the Stadium East Field, but they did so at a numerical disadvantage in tough underfoot conditions caused by evening showers.
The West Kingston team was spurred by a brace from former Arnett Gardens winger Steve Clarke (76th and 80th), and a long overdue strike from the league's joint leading scorer Justin Dunn (73rd), after they lost substitute Howard Morris to a straight red card in the 61st. Fabian Reid had earlier put Arnett Gardens in front in the 57th minute.
With the win, which extended their unbeaten run across four matches, Tivoli's Gardens inched up to fourth on 34 points, while Arnett Gardens, who had their three-match unbeaten run snapped, slipped to fourth on 33 points.
Winning coach Jerome Waite welcomed Clarke's impact on his return to the league.
"Despite the fact that we weren't prepared where the proper footing is concerned, the result ended in our favour. I spoke about the players who came in through the transfer market and today you saw what those players basically have to offer," Waite said, adding that losing Morris didn't affect their game plan much.
"The only change was that we had a three-pronged attack, and we asked one of those players to sit in the midfield. These players, the worked that they put in leading up to this game, showed here and it can only can better as the season progresses," he noted.
Arnett Gardens dominated proceedings for most of the first half and had a few openings from which they should have opened the scoring but failed to make them count. After Warner Brown skied a left-footed effort from deep inside the 18-yard box, Keheim Dixon, had a clear 12th-minute opportunity in a one-on-one situation with Tivoli Gardens goalkeeper Diego Haughton, but fired his effort into the crossbar.
With very little going Tivoli Gardens way, Dunn tried his luck from a distance, but Asher Hutchinson in goal for Arnett Gardens, got down well to his right to parry.
Reid also had a grand opportunity to break the deadlock in the 27th minute when he went on a break and dismissed Haughton, who strayed off his line, but the Arnett Gardens captain was undone by the conditions, as the score remained goalless at the break.
However, Reid made amends for his earlier slip up and sent the ‘Junglists’ in front 12 minutes into the resumption, as he got on the end of a Jamone Shepherd pass and fired past Haughton, who again strayed off his line and was caught in no man's land.
Along with the lead, Arnett Gardens also had a numerical advantage when Morris was sent for an early shower by referee Oshane Nation, but seemingly got complacent, and were punished for it. This, as Tivoli Gardens went rampant in the final 20 minutes of the contest and were assisted by some shoddy defending by their opponents.
The West Kingston team’s fortunes turned when a well-struck 71st-minute freekick by substitute Vishinul Harris, was kept out parried by Hutchinson and Shepherd senselessly felled Alton Lewis inside the danger area.
Dunn, who endured a lengthy goal drought after his blistering start to the season, stepped up and converted from the 12-yard spot to pull Tivoli Gardens level with his 10th goal of the season.
From there, it was the Steve Clarke show, as the former Arnett Gardens man doubled the lead three minutes later when he got on the end of Harris’s delightful through-pass and fired past Hutchinson on a second attempt.
Clarke then completed his brace and the victory for Tivoli Gardens when he finished a right-footer with aplomb, after Arnett Gardens failed to clear their lines from Shaquille Jones’s cross.
Arnett Gardens' Head coach Xavier Gilbert believed they were undone by a lack of proper game management.
"I think we made some poor decisions around the back, but credit to Tivoli Gardens for the way they came at us because I think we managed the game poorly and we have to be smarter than that. We were a goal up and a man up and I just don't think we made good decisions, so it's just unfortunate and we just have move on...bounce back quickly and a move on," Gilbert said.
Matchweek 17 Results
Lime Hall Academy 1, Treasure Beach FC 0
Montego Bay United 2, Vere United 0
Portmore United 1, Dunbeholden 1
Mount Pleasant FA 1, Molynes United 1
Waterhouse 0, Cavalier FC 1
Humble Lion 2, Harbour View 4
Tivoli Gardens 3, Arnett Gardens 1
St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has stressed the importance of Wednesday night’s home clash with Dundee to his players.
The fifth-placed Buddies are bristling with confidence following their convincing 3-0 cinch Premiership win over Hibernian at Easter Road on Saturday.
Next up are Tony Docherty’s Taysiders who, along with Hibs, are also competing with Saints for a top-six finish, but Robinson is looking for more league joy before St Mirren host Celtic in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup on Sunday.
The Northern Irishman said: “We established ourselves as a top-six side last season.
“The hardest bit is trying to repeat that. So far we are doing that.
“These two games against teams directly below us means it gives you a little bit of a cushion if you can win the game.
“Sometimes you try to play that down to players, but we have done the opposite, we have played it up and made the level of importance of the game really high and it is the same on Wednesday night.
“We created numerous chances against Hibs, but that comes from a solid base and we need that tomorrow night and we need it again on Sunday.”
Robinson insists lessons were learned in the 4-0 defeat by Dundee in November, the Buddies’ biggest defeat of the season.
He said: “We had a lot of possession, 60 per cent, and we had more than 30 crosses into the box, but we played in front of Dundee a lot, we didn’t go in behind them, turn them around and make them go towards their own goal. So there’s lessons in that.
“We conceded from two set-plays. Dundee are a high threat in set-plays, very well-organised and very pro-active in their set-plays.
“We have to be well versed in that. No matter how bad we played up until half-time, we were 2-0 down due to set-plays.
“It is a critical part of the game now and we have to be on top of that tomorrow night.”
Phil Foden believes the Premier League title race will go to the wire this season.
The England midfielder scored a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 3-1 win at Brentford on Monday night.
It was a potentially pivotal victory which lifted City above Arsenal into second place, two points behind leaders Liverpool with a game in hand.
“It’s going to be tight one. Liverpool and Arsenal are two top teams doing really well,” said Foden.
“They are going to push us until the end so we have to try and not drop points and try to win all of our games really.”
City fell behind against the run of play when Neal Maupay fired Brentford into the lead.
But Foden finally beat inspired Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken to haul his side level before the interval.
The 23-year-old headed them in front early in the second half from Kevin De Bruyne’s cross, and then completed a stylish treble to ensure City’s title destiny is firmly in their own hands.
The treble winners also trailed in away matches against Everton and Newcastle recently, but Foden says they are beginning to show their mettle by coming back to win each time.
“Resilience. We keep proving it season after season,” he told the club website.
“We keep surprising everyone by keeping our standards high and it’s down to the manager and this fantastic group of players.
“It’s the togetherness, when things aren’t going right, to bounce back.”
Nerves are starting to jangle at Brentford, who have lost seven of their last eight matches and lie just three points above the relegation zone.
The fixture list does not offer much respite with City – again – Liverpool and Arsenal all on the schedule in the next few weeks.
But boss Thomas Frank is looking no further ahead than Saturday’s trip to Wolves.
“I’m always looking just one game ahead; that’s where our maximum focus is,” he said.
“It’s the same top focus on the next game. Every game we will have a very good chance to win it and that will be the same on Saturday.”
David Carson accepted Livingston’s perilous position in the cinch Premiership with confidence when he opted for a move to the top-flight.
The 28-year-old midfielder departed cinch Championship side Inverness for the Lions on an 18-month contract last week after five years at the Highland club.
The Newcastle-born player made his debut in the 3-0 defeat by Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday which left David Martindale’s side without a league win in their last 16 attempts and six points behind second-bottom Ross County having played two games more.
Ahead of Wednesday night’s game against fourth-placed Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, where the in-form home team have lost only once in 10 games in all competitions, Carson conceded that some people may have questioned his decision to join a club whose Premiership future is fraught.
He said: “I agree, people will look at it like that but I am a player, I know the situation we are in and there is still a lot of football to play.
“I am coming in with the aim, like everyone else at this club, to keep us in the Premiership. That’s what I have come to do.
“As a player you always want to play at the highest level you can and there was an opportunity for me to do that.
“First and foremost it was that, I wanted to test myself and when I spoke to the manager it was a positive chat.
“I know the situation that we are in but we can affect that and hopefully we can start to pick up points.
“There is absolutely a lot of confidence. There are a lot of games that we can go and attack and try to pick up points.
“Saturday was difficult but we have to let that pass, it is done. We were well in the game before the first game.
“We have to move on to Wednesday night which is a big game for us.
“We can’t concentrate too much on what other people are doing, we have to go in there with a game plan and see if that gets us some points.
“We are confident. There is a good group of lads, I have seen that in training already. There is some real quality in there so why not start a good run on Wednesday?”
Former Real Madrid and Spain goalkeeper Miguel Angel Gonzalez has died at the age of 76.
Miguel Angel played for Madrid for 18 seasons between 1968 and 1986, winning two UEFA Cups, eight Spanish league titles, five Spanish Cups and one League Cup.
He was also capped 18 times by Spain, and played in both the 1978 and 1982 World Cups.
Following his playing career Miguel Angel held various roles at Real Madrid, including working as goalkeeper coach and director of the former training complex Ciudad Deportiva.
Miguel Angel was diagnosed with ALS, a form of motor neurone disease, in December 2022.
In a statement on Tuesday morning, the club said: “Real Madrid CF, its president and its board of directors are deeply saddened by the death of Miguel Angel Gonzalez, one of the greatest goalkeepers in our history, a legend of Real Madrid and Spanish football.
“Real Madrid would like to express its condolences and affection to his wife, Maria del Pilar, his son Miguel Angel, his grandchildren Daniela and Mauro, his family, his team-mates and all his loved ones.”
Lionel Messi said it was a “shame” he could not play in Inter Miami’s pre-season friendly in Hong Kong on Sunday, with his absence leaving angry fans demanding a refund.
Messi, who has been suffering with a hamstring injury, was left on the bench as his side beat a Hong Kong XI 4-1, much to the anger of local fans who had turned up in numbers in expectation of seeing the eight-time Ballon D’Or winner.
Inter co-owner David Beckham was also greeted with boos at a post-match speech while the Hong Kong government later expressed its “deep disappointment” over Messi not playing and at organisers for “failing to provide a detailed explanation promptly”.
Beckham’s MLS side have since moved on to Japan where they will play Vissel Kobe on Wednesday and Argentina superstar Messi trained on Tuesday.
The World Cup winner said in a press conference shown on Sky Sports: “Unfortunately in football things can happen in any game, that we may have an injury. It happened to me.
“I couldn’t play in the Hong Kong match, and it was a shame because I always wanted to participate, I wanted to be there and even more so when it came to these matches.
“When we travelled so far and people were so excited to see our matches. I hope we can return and we play another game and I can play as I do whenever I can. But the truth is that it is a game that I was not able to participate.”
What the papers say
Raphael Varane is reportedly the latest big name attracting a wealth of interest from Saudi Arabia. The Daily Star says Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr are hoping to reunite the Manchester United defender with his former Real Madrid and Red Devils team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, with an offer believed to be in the region of £50million a year.
The Independent reports Kylian Mbappe‘s contract negotiations with Real Madrid have hit a stumbling block. According to the paper, the two parties are yet to come to terms on the 25-year-old striker’s wage package, with an agreement believed to be a way off. However, there is belief amongst all involved – including Mbappe’s current club Paris St Germain – that a deal to take the France captain to Spain will eventually be made.
And The Telegraph reports Aston Villa has reached a verbal agreement on a new long-term contract for Jamaica winger Leon Bailey.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Raphinha: Journalist Paul O’Keefe says on X the Barcelona attacker is being carefully monitored by Tottenham.
Hwang Ui-jo: The Nottingham Forest striker has agreed terms to spend the rest of the season on loan at Turkish side Alanyaspor, reports Turkish outlet Sports Digitale.
Reggae Boyz forward Leon Bailey is set to sign a new contract with English Premier League (EPL) club Aston Villa.
Discussions have been planned over a new deal since December, with Bailey keen to commit his long-term future to the Villains.
Bailey’s existing contract, due to expire in June 2025, was signed when he joined Villa from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen for a fee in the region of £30million (now $37.7m) in the summer of 2021.
The 26-year-old struggled with injuries during his first year at Villa Park, making only seven Premier League starts and a further 11 appearances off the bench in the 2021-22 season.
He played more regularly last season under Steven Gerrard and then Unai Emery, registering four goals and four assists in 33 league games.
This season, though, has been his most productive at Villa, with his 10 goals in all competitions second only to Ollie Watkins’ 16 at the West Midlands club.
Bailey previously played for Belgian side Genk before joining Leverkusen in 2017. He scored 39 goals in 156 games for the German club before leaving for Villa.
Bailey’s importance to Villa has grown over the winter months, with head coach Unai Emery having been keen to develop the Jamaican’s consistency away from home.
Bailey has become Villa’s most threatening forward, scoring or assisting at an average of every 78 minutes this season.
“His potential is amazing,” says Emery. “Progressively, he’s getting better and he’s humbled to listen and improve. His qualities and skill… sometimes when we play at home, we watch him and think, ‘Wow, what a player’.”
Bailey has largely operated from the right wing this season, scoring 10 times and registering nine assists across 31 appearances. In Villa’s 4-2-2-2 system, the Jamaican’s pace has provided a key outlet on transition, stretching play alongside Watkins.
Internationally, Bailey has played 30 times for Jamaica, having made his senior debut in 2019. He has scored five goals for the Reggae Boyz.
New Aberdeen manager Neil Warnock vowed to have a “little bit of fun” and targeted cup glory after achieving a long-held ambition of working in Scotland.
The 75-year-old revealed he had rejected more lucrative recent offers but seized the opportunity to move to the cinch Premiership in an interim role until the end of the season.
Aberdeen will take time to make a long-term appointment after Barry Robson became the fourth manager in successive seasons to lose his job.
Warnock came out of retirement 12 months ago to lead Huddersfield to Sky Bet Championship safety in a similar role.
The former QPR, Leeds and Sheffield United manager has previously applied for the Aberdeen role and come close to the Hearts job and claimed he turned down an offer from current Dons chief executive Alan Burrows when he was in the same position at Motherwell.
“It’s been a long time,” he said. “I have always wanted to manage up here. I’ve got a place at Dunoon and my club’s Greenock Morton. I’ve got bricks there with the family name on, so I have always enjoyed going to watch a game there.
“When I spoke to (chairman) Dave Cormack and Alan it just seemed the right thing to do.
“It gives them a little bit of time to find the right manager that’s going to take the club forward and also, as I said to them, let’s have a little bit of fun between now and the end of the season as well. I like to put smiles on people’s faces.
“I applied for the job once many years ago and I never even got a reply. I felt let down at the time and I used that a little bit to motivate myself – I’ll show them what they’re missing. I managed to get promotion the following year.”
Warnock added: “It’s not for the money. I’ve had some good offers in the last six to eight weeks. I’d like to have a go in this league and I’d like to have a go at a club like this.
“I got a good feeling about here. In the last couple of weeks I could have got two or three times my salary that I’m on here, in England, but it’s not the salary now. You don’t come back at my age unless it ticks the boxes.
“We play Hibernian shortly, (managed by) Nick Montgomery, one of my young lads (he played under Warnock at Sheffield United), there’s all sorts of things. I nearly got the Hearts job once and they gave it some bloke from Latvia or somewhere, so that was a bit of an insult.
“There’s a lot to play for league-wise and I’d like to win a cup. I’ve not won a cup. I got to semi-finals a couple of times and got done by referees, but we’ll not go into that.
“The only pressure is I want to win. I can’t see me getting sacked in four months. So I have got to try and enjoy it and try and make the fans enjoy it.”
Aberdeen are the 17th club Warnock has taken charge of and he claims not much has changed since he got his break with Gainsborough Trinity in the Northern Premier League in 1981.
“I get called a dinosaur and all sorts of names, some I can’t repeat, but in my career as a football manager, nothing has changed in the fact that to be successful, 90-95 per cent is man-management,” said Warnock, who has achieved eight promotions with seven different clubs.
Warnock’s first game is at Ibrox on Tuesday against a Rangers side who could go top of the league.
“I was going to start next week, but the lure of taking over for a game like that is too good really,” said the Yorkshireman, who has brought in Ronnie Jepson as assistant manager to work alongside first-team coach Peter Leven.
“If we get battered, it’s Peter’s fault. If we do well, then I’m very influential on the result.”
Mauricio Pochettino called for support from fans after Chelsea were booed off at the end of Sunday’s 4-2 defeat to Wolves.
The Argentinian, who apologised for the manner in which his team capitulated after taking the lead in the first half at Stamford Bridge, said his young side need backing if they are to turn around what until now has been another woeful Premier League season.
The Blues are 11th after losing to Gary O’Neil’s side, with 10 defeats from their 23 league games.
Supporters responded by singing the name of former owner Roman Abramovich, and jeered Pochettino and his team off the field at half-time and again at the final whistle.
Matheus Cunha’s hat-trick had earned Wolves their first win at Chelsea since 1979 and was well deserved, with the visitors the more inventive and clinical in possession while Pochettino’s side suffered from a familiar lack of creativity.
Yet it was a perceived absence of fight that most angered supporters.
“We apologise to the fans,” said Pochettino. “The perception is one thing, another is the reality. The perception is Chelsea should be in a different position, but for different circumstances we are not there. Maybe because we are not good enough. But what can we do?
“The most important thing now is to feel the responsibility. We need to accept that is the organisation and of course the players that we have.
“To understand the fans is really important. We want to apologise and feel sorry. We are disappointed like them, but until the end we need to fight all together. If we want good results in the future, we need to stay together. During 90 minutes, we need to try to work together.
“With the capacity, the fans will be right to criticise and be angry if the performance is not good. But it’s important (to remember) the players are young. They need support.”
Much of the fury was directed at Pochettino personally, the first clear sign of his tenure that backing for the manager is under strain.
“During the moment, it’s not nice,” he said. “But I think we have to move on. You need to convince the players, push them to never give up and be brave and to recover. It’s the leader that needs to be there, to have the composure to push them.
“We can talk, but we are in the dugout. The players need to feel the confidence, to feel fresh to compete again.
“They feel the pressure and they need the help from the fans during 90 minutes. It’s not to demand nothing. But it’s easy to be outside watching. When the stress arrives, sometimes it’s not easy. We need to be behind them.”
Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay expressed pride and admiration after seeing manager Steven Naismith block out the early-season “noise” to set the Jambos firmly on course for third place in the cinch Premiership.
Naismith’s team have won 11 of their last 14 league matches to pull 12 points clear of fourth-placed Kilmarnock as they bid to secure European group-stage football for next season.
However, Naismith – who was initially handed the title of technical director last summer due to his lack of a UEFA Pro Licence preventing him being manager for the Conference League qualifiers in August – came under intense pressure after winning just three of the opening 10 Premiership matches.
Less than two months ago, at the club’s mid-December AGM in the wake of back-to-back defeats by Rangers and Aberdeen, Hearts chief McKinlay had to field questions from angry supporters about the 37-year-old’s suitability for the role – but he has impressively silenced the doubters since then.
“After the last game of last season, there were a lot of fans who wanted us to appoint Steven (following his spell as interim manager) and then as we came into this season that seemed to drift away and it became noisy quickly,” McKinlay – speaking as Hearts opened the Tynecastle Park Hotel inside the stadium’s main stand – told the PA news agency.
“Some of that might have been around the issue we had to face with the job titles etc, which Steven was fully accepting of because he knew that was the only way we could do it with the European rules. That probably didn’t help him, but Steven never complained during that period.
“Steven’s also very understanding of the demands of the Hearts fans. Other people might say ‘why are they like that?’, ‘why are they so demanding?’ but he’s never said anything like that, he accepts the way they are.
“Yes, I’m sure sometimes he would like it if they took a little bit longer to go against the team (during matches) but that’s how it is, he’s played out there, he understands it.
“I’ve never seen anyone that works as hard as he does. He will never fail through lack of hard work. He has a very clear confidence in what he does and he’s stuck to what he thinks is right.
“He doesn’t tend to fluctuate up or down, he’s very measured. He always believed in himself and he believes in his process and the way he works. He’s kept faithful to that and it’s starting to bear fruit. I’m delighted for him.”
Hearts looked on course to finish third at this time last year when they were seven points clear of fourth-place Livingston, only to be reeled in and overtaken by Aberdeen following a run of six defeats in eight league games under previous boss Robbie Neilson, which resulted in his sacking in April.
McKinlay, having boasted in an interview in December 2022 that Hearts “welcome the chase from those behind us”, was mocked on social media by Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack after the Dons pipped them to European group-stage football.
The Tynecastle chief is confident there will be no repeat under Naismith in the coming months but is wary of taking anything for granted.
“This time last year we had been on a good run but, although I can’t put my finger on why, it does feel different this time,” he said.
“We’re in a great position as the league stands but we’re very well aware of what happened last year. The team are well aware of it as well.
“I’m confident we can get over the line but given what happened last year none of us are complacent about it.”
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