Kai Havertz hailed Graham Potter after Chelsea’s win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, claiming the result proved he was a ‘great manager’ while targeting pundits who ‘think they know better than him’.
Chelsea took a lot of pressure off Potter’s shoulders by putting on their most impressive performance of their tenure against Dortmund, bouncing back from a goal deficit to move ahead in the Champions League round of 16.
After losing 1-0 in the first leg last month, the Blues bounced back after Raheem Sterling’s opening goal and a controversial Havertz penalty that saw the German reclaim and score a second penalty after the post repelled his first try in place Quarterfinals on a happy night at Stamford Bridge.
The win is a huge boost for Potter, whose future as head coach was hanging in the balance after a miserable run of two wins in 12 games and one open-game goal in seven.
Many have questioned whether the former Brighton boss is fit for such a demanding job at elite level at Chelsea, but Havertz insists the side were already convinced he was up to the task behind the scenes.
Kai Havertz praised Graham Potter after Chelsea’s win over Borussia Dortmund
Havertz fired home the winning goal from the penalty spot as Chelsea beat Dortmund in the Champions League round of 16
The win was a huge boost for Potter, whose future as head coach was in jeopardy
He said be in sports after the win: “Yes, of course we know that the pressure is coming on him, but you can see that he is a great manager because in the media I can’t even believe how many people have to talk [about] him.
“We have hundreds of coaches in England, they think they know better than he does. But we know in the dressing room that he’s a big personality, a great manager for us and he helps us all a lot, including me.
“So we’re behind him 100 per cent, even if people might not see it, but I think today everyone saw that he’s a great manager.”
While their hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League are all but gone with 10th place, progressing into the last eight of the Champions League is a welcome relief for Potter and keeps Chelsea’s season alive.
The spirit, energy and quality shown in Tuesday’s win will raise hopes for a strong run in this year’s competition, with the quarter-final draw taking place next Friday.
And Potter couldn’t contain his delight after his biggest moment as head coach yet, admitting that the win means a lot given the “rough time” of the last few months.
‘I’m not sure [how I’m feeling]! There are a lot of emotions at the end. In the end it was exciting, but the boys played fantastically. I’m very happy for them for getting the win and great for everyone here,” he said.
“There was a fantastic feeling in the dressing room. We’ve had a difficult time and this competition means a lot to us. We wanted to progress and finish in the last eight and that sets us up for the next few weeks.
Havertz believes Potter proved to be a “great manager” in Tuesday’s comeback win
Potter couldn’t contain his joy after reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League
“It’s great for the lads, two wins, two goals conceded after a tough period. That’s what you get in life and it’s how you react and the players have been fantastic.”
Next up for Potter and co is a Premier League trip to Leicester on Saturday before discovering their quarter-final opponents in the Champions League next Friday.
Benfica are in the draw after a stunning 5-1 win against Club Brugge on Tuesday, Bayern Munich 1-0 PSG and Tottenham 1-0 AC Milan on Wednesday evening.
In next weekend’s second legs, Manchester City will play hosts RB Leipzig (1-1) and Liverpool against Real Madrid (5-2) away, while Porto against Inter Milan (0-1) and Napoli against Eintracht Frankfurt (2-0) also compete in the store.
