Revealed: Mauricio Pochettino exit sparks Chelsea squad 'meltdown' on WhatsApp as players had 'no idea' announcement was coming

Many Blues stars were in disbelief when reports emerged of Pochettino's imminent departure, The Telegraph reports. The Argentine coach and his staff were well-liked among the Stamford Bridge squad and there was hope that he would stay in charge after they finished the season with a five-game winning run to secure European football for next season.

Chelsea confirmed Pochettino would be leaving the club by mutual consent on Tuesday, and the players expressed their surprise in a WhatsApp group. Nicolas Jackson appeared critical of the club as he put facepalm emojis over an image of Pochettino speaking to him in an Instagram post.

The Telegraph claims to have been told be a source: "The players could not believe it. They had no idea until the news broke and it started going around their WhatsApp groups. Most of them really liked Poch, so they were pretty upset."

Jackson expressed his gratitude towards Pochettino in another Instagram post, while star player Cole Palmer also issued a thankful message and club legend and academy coach John Terry said he was "gutted" to see the Argentine go.

The Chelsea squad will hope to shake off the disappointment of Pochettino's exit when they begin preparing for the new Premier League season. Ex-Blues coach Thomas Tuchel, Ipswich's Kieran McKenna and Porto boss Sergio Conceicao have all been cited as possible replacements.