Who is Bruno Saltor? Chelsea's new manager after Potter sacking

Suraj Radia

• 3 Apr 2023 11:35 CDT
• 2 min read

Chelsea will have a new manager in the dugout for their game against Liverpool on Tuesday after the sacking of Graham Potter, with coach Bruno Saltor set to take charge of the team for the near future.

Potter was relieved of his duties just seven months after being appointed on a five-year deal, leaving Chelsea 11th in the Premier League and with the worst win percentage of any permanent manager of the club in more than 25 years.

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Bruno has been appointed as interim manager, having been brought to the club by Potter, as Chelsea look to ‘facilitate a smooth transition’ amid the search for a fourth manager in just over two years.

With Bruno set to take on his first role as a manager, FootballTransfers takes a look at the Spaniard who will be tasked with ensuring Chelsea can recover with a strong end to a dismal season.

From Brighton legend to Chelsea dugout: everything you need to know about Bruno

Although he has little experience in coaching, Bruno enjoyed a long playing career, retiring in 2019 after spending seven years as a right-back with Brighton, where he became a fan favourite.

The 42-year-old joined the Seagulls in 2012 from Valencia, having spent his entire career in Spain, and made more than 200 appearances for Brighton, captaining the team to Premier League promotion in 2017.

Bruno was appointed as a senior player development coach by Potter at Brighton and was often asked to lead training sessions and taking charge of the attacking drills, despite being a defender in his playing days.

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Potter brought Bruno to Chelsea along with four other members of his backroom team at Brighton and the coach has been praised for his attention to detail as well as his passion for progressive football, similar to his former manager.

Bruno has openly admitted the influence of Pep Guardiola in his philosophy, having grown up in Catalonia and being a product of the Espanyol academy, close rivals of Barcelona.

He has also worked with Aston Villa boss Unai Emery on multiple occasions during his career and is thought to be a popular figure among colleagues, with Potter describing Bruno as a ‘top person’ due to his ‘intelligence, humility and respect for people.’

The interim Chelsea boss faces a difficult task of picking up a broken team who are still hoping to rescue their season, with a Champions League tie against Real Madrid on the horizon.

There will certainly be a demand for fresh ideas after Potter’s reign, despite Bruno being a close compatriot of the former Blues boss, and the new man at the helm will be hoping for a positive start in the first step of his managerial career.