Mauricio Pochettino has admitted he is “desperate” to win a first trophy in England after leading Chelsea to the Carabao Cup final.
The Blues will play either Liverpool or Fulham at Wembley on February 25 after overturning a 1-0 first-leg defeat by thrashing Middlesbrough 6-1 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Pochettino will now have the chance to win a first trophy as a manager in England, with his failure to lift silverware during five years with Tottenham the nagging criticism from his time in north London.
The Argentinian pointed to the three trophies he won during his time in charge of Paris Saint-Germain before joining Chelsea, but conceded: “I am desperate to win a title here.
“We won, in one year and a half in Paris, three trophies. We want to win here, of course.”
Pochettino reached the 2015 Carabao Cup final during his first season in charge of Spurs but his side lost 2-0 to Chelsea, while they also lost the 2019 Champions League final to Liverpool.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the clinical victory over Boro, Pochettino said it was “really important” for his side to reach the Carabao Cup final.
Chelsea failed to make it past the third round in the Carabao Cup or FA Cup during a hugely disappointing previous campaign, while Pochettino named just three players over the age of 25 for the semi-final second leg on Tuesday.
But discussing the impact of a trip to Wembley on his young team, Pochettino said: “Sometimes we can think about the history of Chelsea and the missing players. We are young and we need to grow.
“These types of games are a good experience for young players and it is about now growing and it will help us to compete.
“We are building a very good team. The mentality is good. We have plenty but we need time.
“It is a new project. We are building a team and sometimes it is normal to play worse. We played well and we didn’t win but now it will be a big boost for us.
“People need to believe and trust in us and we go to the final with the chance of winning the first trophy of the season.”
Neville: Trophies can accelerate Chelsea journey
Four of the six goals Boro conceded came after Chelsea pressed them into errors in their own half, with Michael Carrick accepting responsibility for the mistakes after the match.
Chelsea raced into a 4-0 lead before half-time and, speaking on Sky Sports, Gary Neville said: “Chelsea just had too much for Middlesbrough.
“The visitors contributed to their own downfall but the quality was still there from Chelsea.
“Chelsea have a new everything and winning trophies is what will accelerate their journey.
“They have an opportunity now to do something special at Wembley against either Fulham or Liverpool.”