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The inside story of why Chelsea sacked Graham Potter after less than seven months

LONDON -- Graham Potter's arrival at Chelsea last September was supposed to herald a new era of stability at the club after a period of unprecedented turbulence. Instead, co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's Behdad Eghbali are looking for a new head coach less than seven months after making their first managerial appointment.

The turmoil began last February, when then-owner Roman Abramovich announced his intention to pass control of the club to its trustees. This was a preemptive move that failed to prevent the United Kingdom government sanctioning Abramovich over alleged ties to Russia President Vladimir Putin, which, following the outbreak of war in Ukraine, effectively forced Chelsea's sale to trigger a whirlwind few months.