Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter has been appointed the new head coach of West Ham United.
The Hammers announced Potter’s appointment in a statement on Thursday.
“West Ham United is delighted to welcome Graham Potter as the Club’s new Head Coach,” the London club stated.
“The 49-year-old joins the Hammers on a two-and-a-half year contract and will take charge of his new team for the first time when the Irons travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday evening.
“A highly-respected and sought-after coach, Potter has been awaiting the right opportunity after leaving his last role at Chelsea in April 2023, and was the Board’s unanimous choice to take the Club forward in line with its objectives and ambitions.
“Potter, whose progressive style and flexible tactical approach previously impressed at Swedish club Östersund, Swansea City and Brighton & Hove Albion, has a passion to return to Premier League management and is relishing the opportunity to work with West Ham United’s talented squad of international players.”
West Ham fired Julen Lopetegui on Wednesday after the Spaniard managed just six English Premier League wins from 20 games this season to leave West Ham in 14th, having been appointed to succeed David Moyes last May.
Potter returns to management 20 months after he was sacked by Chelsea just seven months and 31 matches into a five-year contract.
The new West Ham head coach said: “I am delighted to be here. It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the Club I am joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham United.
“My conversations with the Chairman and the Board have been very positive and constructive, we share the same values of hard work and high energy to create the solid foundations that can produce success, and we are on the same wavelength in terms of what is needed in the short-term and then how we want to move the Club forward in the medium to long term.
“West Ham United is a huge Club, at the heart of London, with a tremendous fanbase and great support all around the world. I saw the scenes that followed their Europa Conference League victory in 2023 and it was clear that this is a Club with everything in place to become consistently successful, both on and off the pitch.
“The Club have made a lot of good progress in recent years and ensured there are some very strong foundations in place to build on. You don’t win a European trophy by fluke – there has to be a good bedrock at a football club for that to happen, and the challenge now is to take that on and build the next steps, to develop a team and a Club that the supporters can be proud of.”
Potter will be joined at West Ham by Bruno (Assistant Coach), Billy Reid (First-Team Coach) and Narcís Pèlach (First-Team Coach). Goalkeeper Coach Xavi Valero will stay on in his role.