sport news Inside Chelsea's new-look backroom staff under Graham Potter trends now
Premier League bosses are like package deals. In modern football, few head coaches enter through the doors of a new top flight club on their own, without the support of their trusted backroom staff behind them.
When Chelsea owner Todd Boehly swooped in to lure Graham Potter away from Brighton with a lucrative five-year deal, the pair would no doubt have discussed which staff members the 47-year-old wanted to bring with him to Stamford Bridge.
On an individual basis, his Cinderella story from the fourth tier of Swedish football to the dizzying heights of the Champions League deserves high praise — although Potter would be the first to admit that his backroom staff had a huge part to play in his meteoric rise.
Chelsea's appointment of Graham Potter has sparked a reshuffle in the Blues' backroom staff
The new head coach launched his Chelsea career with a 1-1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg
Chelsea announced the club's new-look backroom staff ahead of their 1-1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday, which includes five lieutenants from Potter's team at the Amex.
Despite a number of significant alterations following Thomas Tuchel's departure, Chelsea have also retained a couple of key figures in the dressing room in a bid to offer stability during the changeover.
As Potter continues to get to grips with life at Stamford Bridge, Sportsmail has listed and examined the individuals who make up his backroom staff.
Billy Reid - Assistant ManagerHaving worked alongside Potter for nine years at Ostersunds, Swansea and Brighton, Billy Reid has taken the role of assistant manager at Stamford Bridge.
His only experience at the helm came between 2004 and 2013, when Reid managed Scottish outfits Clyde and Hamilton Academical, but the Glaswegian has since racked up almost a decade of experience as a deputy.
As Chelsea unveiled the new team on their club website, Potter insisted that Reid's know-how and interpersonal skills would benefit the Blues.
Billy Reid (left) has worked next to Potter for nine years at Ostersunds, Swansea and Brighton
'Billy brings a lot of experience,' he said.
'Really good with people, building connections with people in the club and someone who the players really enjoy working with.'
With the help of Bjorn Hamberg, Reid took charge of Brighton against Leicester in January after Potter tested positive for coronavirus, leading the Seagulls to a 1-1 draw thanks to a late equaliser from Danny Welbeck.
Potter insisted that his experienced assistant excels at 'building connections' with the players
Away from the dugout, the Scot has reportedly supported Potter in various peculiar culture-building exercises.
With the help of local artist Karin Wahlen, Potter had his Ostersunds team and backroom staff perform a ballet to the music of Swan Lake.
Wahlen told Sky Sports in 2020: 'The players hated it at first. But we ended up having a lot of fun and life-time memories. And it gave them courage, too. It's not always the one who is the bravest on the pitch that is bravest on stage.'
Bjorn Hamberg - Assistant CoachSwedish first-team coach Hamberg has been by Potter's side since the 47-year-old's very first season at Ostersunds.
Aged just 26 in 2011, the young coach joined after growing his reputation as a player-coach with the team he helped establish called BK Bjorner.
Assistant Bjorn Hamberg has worked with Potter since his first few days as Ostersunds boss
Speaking of his long-serving colleague, Potter said: 'I met Bjorn pretty much the first day I arrived in Sweden. We've obviously worked together since and got to know each other very well.
'He's a combination of a good person and a very capable person, so a really important member of the squad.'
Before breaking into football under Potter, Hamberg was a supermarket manager.
Bruno Saltor Grau - Assistant CoachEstablishing himself as a legend at Brighton, Bruno joined the Seagulls from Valencia in 2012 and went on to make 225 appearances for the south-coast club.
Since his retirement in 2019, Bruno has been a key member of the coaching staff at Brighton, looking to consolidate the club's status as a Premier League outfit after winning promotion from the Championship in 2017 under Chris Hughton.
Bruno made a heartfelt farewell to the Brighton fans after deciding to take up arms with Potter at Stamford Bridge.
Bruno Saltor Grau (left) waved an emotional farewell to Brighton following his move to Chelsea
