Chelsea manager Potter says his family has received death threats
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[February 25, 2023]
LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea manager Graham Potter and his
family have received anonymous death threats following the Premier
League club's poor run of results, he told reporters on Friday.
Chelsea are 10th in the table with two wins in their last 14 games
and have only scored once at home this year.
"As much as I've had support, I've had some not very nice emails
that have come through that want me to die and want my kids to die,
so obviously that's not pleasant to receive," said the 47-year-old
former Brighton & Hove Albion boss.
"The challenge for me is, 'OK, how do I conduct myself?' That's what
I always turn round to. The higher you go, the more pressure you
have on how you are as a person."
Since Potter took the job in September after the sacking of Thomas
Tuchel, Chelsea have won nine of their 25 games.
"I want to succeed here. There is this nonsense that I don't care.
Where does that come from? Where's your evidence on that?," he
added, ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
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"If you go to work and somebody's swearing abuse at you, it's not
going to be pleasant.
"You can answer it two ways. I could say I don't care, but you know
I'm lying. Everyone cares what people think, because we're hardwired
to be socially connected."
Potter said life had been difficult over the past few months as he
tried to fashion a winning team, with Chelsea 11 points adrift of
fourth-placed Spurs albeit with a game in hand.
"Ask my family how life has been for me and for them. It's been not
pleasant at all," he added.
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Soccer Football - Premier League -
Chelsea v Southampton - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - February
18, 2023 Chelsea manager Graham Potter applauds the fans after the
match REUTERS/David Klein
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"I understand supporters go home and they're
annoyed because the team aren't winning but, I assure you, my life
for the last three, four months has been fairly average, apart from
the fact I'm really grateful for this experience."
Regarding the death threats towards his family, Potter said a line
had been crossed.
"You just have to put it aside, and thankfully it's an isolated
incident and it could come from anywhere. It's just one of those
things," Potter told Sky Sports.
Asked if it had rocked him, he said: "Not really. It's just a
throwaway line, I think. I don't give it any more weight than that.
"It's not pleasant and it's not pleasant for the family. You accept
the criticism, you accept to be booed if you lose a game, you accept
whatever comes your way absolutely.
"Of course there's a line but I wouldn't be the first person in life
where the line's been crossed and maybe in this instance it has been
crossed."
(Reporting by Ken Ferris; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
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