Warning: This article references issues that readers may find troubling
Chelsea manager Graham Potter said he and his family had received anonymous death threats following the club’s poor form.
The Blues have won just two of their last 14 games in all competitions and lost to Premier League contenders Southampton on Saturday.
Chelsea say they are offering their full support to Potter and his family.
“I got some not particularly nice e-mails wanting me dead,” said Potter.
“This is obviously not a pleasant thing to receive.”
The former Brighton boss said the anonymous emails also referenced threats against his children.
Under Potter, who was appointed in September following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea have won just nine of their 25 games.
“You could ask my family how life has been for me and them. It hasn’t been pleasant at all,” Potter added.
“If you go to work and someone swears at you, it’s not going to be pleasant.
“You can answer it one of two ways. I could say I don’t care, but you know I’m lying. Everyone cares what people think, because we are hardwired to be socially connected.”
Chelsea says she is offering Potter and his family all the support they need, but that it is a personal matter.
The Blues are currently 10th in the league, 11 points off the Champions League places.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s Premier League game against Tottenham, Potter said: “With the results as they are, you accept criticism.
“That’s not to say it’s easy. Your family life suffers, your mental health suffers, your personality — it’s hard.”
Potter acknowledged that fans had “the right to be mad” at the recent results, but said it would not be undone by abuse.
“Life is difficult for many people,” he said.
“You ask me if it’s hard, I say yes, it’s hard. You suffer. You get upset.
“But the world is tough. We are going through an energy crisis, a cost of living crisis. People are on strike every two weeks. Nobody wants to hear about the poor Premier League manager.”
Spurs assistant coach Cristian Stellini, who remains in charge on Sunday as coach Antonio Conte continues to recover from gallbladder surgery, believes Potter is a “great manager”.
“I’ve studied Potter since I came here because he was a manager who was at Brighton last season and I’ve followed Brighton a lot,” Stellini said.
“I was blown away by the way they play, how many times they changed systems and how good they were at challenging Potter.”
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