Todd Boehly gleefully greeted Graham Potter in the tunnel on Tuesday night following Chelsea‘s 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund – while clutching a bottle of beer.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, much of the talk pre-match had focused in on how precarious Potter’s job might look should Chelsea have been eliminated from the competition, which would have all but ended their season as a spectacle.
As it is, Chelsea’s first back-to-back wins since October and a strong performance to boot looks to have given Potter further time – and, crucially, credit – to work with his bloated squad.
Emerging into the tunnel shortly after Potter, Boehly made sure to catch up with the manager to offer his congratulations.
With reports having emerged over the past few weeks that Boehly, in particular, was keen to give the former Brighton and Swansea manager time at the club, he seemingly confirmed his affection for the man in the footage.
Todd Boehly (back right) greets Graham Potter in the tunnel after Chelsea beat Borussia Dortmund
The two reportedly share a close working relationship – with Boehly believed to be a strong backer of Potter
Graham Potter struggled to contain his delight and relief on the pitch after the final whistle
Letting out a big cry, Boehly and Potter shared a joyous embrace which just further underlined both the delight and relief at Chelsea’s European campaign continuing.
Boehly could be seen clutching a bottle of beer as he greeted Potter.
The enormity of the evening was summed up best, perhaps, by Potter himself being unable to watch Chelsea’s re-taken penalty in the second half.
With Raheem Sterling having given the Blues a deserved first-half lead, they looked to make their dominance tell early in the second period.
Borussia Dortmund were incensed when VAR punished Marius Wolf for handling the ball from Ben Chilwell’s cross. Jude Bellingham, on post-match duties after the game, said the defender was only a yard away, before adding that he didn’t want to be too critical so as to avoid being fined – again.
However, the officials saw it differently and a penalty was awarded. Dortmund thought justice had been served when Kai Havertz sent Alexander Meyer the wrong way, only for the ball to come crashing back off the upright.
It had to be re-taken, however, owing to encroachment. Making no mistake with the second effort, Havertz duly dispatched the ball and Chelsea can now dream of another – unlikely – Champions League run.
The Chelsea boss has found himself under intense pressure in recent weeks but has alleviated some of that
Boehly appeared as delighted and relieved as the Chelsea boss after the game
Chelsea await their quarter-final opponents safe in the knowledge their season isn’t yet over
The matchwinner Kai Havertz is greeted by team-mate Enzo Fernandez at the end of the game
Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Potter made no secret of his delight at the result, praising his team, saying they deserved to go through over two legs.
‘There was a fantastic feeling in the dressing room,’ he said. ‘This tournament means a lot to us, and it sets us up for a good few weeks.
‘We have to recover and prepare for Leicester on Saturday. But it’s great for the boys, two wins, two clean sheets.
‘It was important we could put some pressure on them and get the crowd up, attacking them when they’re disorganised. They’re a tricky side to play but the players were fantastic, deserved to go through.’
