Belle Silva, the wife of Chelsea defender Thiago Silva, has issued an apology after facing backlash for her comments seemingly criticizing Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino and calling for changes at the club.
Following Sunday’s 4-2 defeat by Wolves, which marked Chelsea’s 10th loss in the Premier League and left them languishing in 11th place in the table, Belle took to social media platform X to express her frustration, stating, “It’s time to change. If you wait any longer it will be too late.”
Pochettino confirmed that he had spoken to Silva since the incident, emphasizing the importance of communication and addressing the matter privately. “I’m sorry that my personal outburst as a passionate Chelsea fan has caused such an impact,” Belle wrote in a subsequent post on X, expressing regret for the repercussions of her remarks. “I’m passionate about the team, I thrive on victories and I’m saddened by defeats. We all want the same thing, a winning team, come on Chelsea.”
The defeat to Wolves compounded Chelsea’s recent struggles, following a 4-1 loss at the hands of Liverpool, and intensified scrutiny on Pochettino’s tenure at the helm. Despite their EFL Cup final berth against Liverpool, the Argentine manager faces mounting pressure amidst a lackluster Premier League campaign, characterized by just nine wins so far this season.
Responding to the situation, former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton criticized Belle’s post, deeming it unhelpful amid the club’s challenges. “It is absolutely ridiculous,” Sutton remarked on Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club. “It is something the club and Pochettino doesn’t need. He has had a poor season. The team has had a poor season. It is not going to help the situation.”
Pochettino, who assumed the managerial reins at Chelsea in July 2023, affirmed his strong relationship with Thiago Silva, highlighting their constructive dialogue following Belle’s comments. “We are very strong in the way we want to operate. We talked and I don’t want to divulge, it was private. It [my relationship with Silva] is very good,” Pochettino asserted.