EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea legend Gus Poyet admitted he was left stunned by his boozing team-mates after being taken aback by the amount of alcohol they consumed
08:00, 18 Apr 2026
Gus Poyet
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Gus Poyet opened up about the drinking culture at Chelsea
Chelsea legend Gus Poyet admitted he was taken aback by the amount of alcohol his boozy team-mates would devour.
Poyet, 57, joined Chelsea in 1997 from Real Zaragoza in Spain and went on to have a successful career at Stamford Bridge and later Tottenham Hotspur, even if the Uruguayan took a while to warm up and get used to the British drinking culture.
The midfielder, whose last managerial job saw him step down as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors manager at the end of the season after winning the Korea K League title and the Korea FA Cup, won the FA Cup, Community Shield, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the League Cup during his time in West London.
Gus Poyet
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Gus Poyet won the FA Cup in 2000(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)
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With all that success came some huge parties that left Poyet shocked at his team-mates’ ability off the pitch.
Poyet spoke to the Daily Star, via the popular iGaming site Casino Guru, known for its thorough UK casino list and in-depth reviews, about his time attending parties with his team-mates during his time in England.
He said: “I will keep it simple. My first Christmas party in England, I was shocked by the quantity of alcohol drunk by everyone.
Gus Poyet celebrates scoring for Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur
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Gus Poyet scored 49 goals in 145 games for Chelsea(Image: Mike Hewitt /Allsport)
“In Spain, for Christmas party we have a drink yes, but not so many, so this was a big shock to me at my first Christmas party in England. After this, for future parties, I knew what to expect, so it wasn’t a shock anymore, but the first time, I thought wow, this is a lot of alcohol.”
Poyet has been incredibly vocal about alcohol in football after he previously admitted to arriving hours late to parties to avoid excessive boozing.
He also said it was naïve to allow supporters to drink before the bitter Tyne-Wear derby and expect no trouble when he was the manager of Sunderland.
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Poyet played 145 times in total for the Blues, scoring 49 goals, including three consecutive double-figure campaigns in the league.
He then moved across London to join Tottenham where he helped Spurs reach the League Cup final in his debut season, but they were beaten by Blackburn Rovers.
Poyet hung up his boots in 2004 after his final years at Tottenham became blighted by injuries. He moved into the dugout, managing Brighton & Hove Albion in the Championship before steering Sunderland clear of relegation in the top-flight.