Mauricio Pochettino says he cannot predict whether or not he will be at Chelsea next season.
The Argentine has endured a difficult first season at Stamford Bridge with the club set to miss out on Champions League football for the second successive year.
The Blues have won their last three Premier League games on the trot and are unbeaten in four to end the season strongly, but Pochettino says his future at the club is out of his hands.
“We are planning, we are working. Some comments from my side have been put in a negative way,” he said. “Always I try to be positive and I try to translate my feelings – to you and to the people.
“But I never said I am not thinking of the future. We are thinking of the future – it is already planned.
“The plan is there to start the pre-season – the date we are going to start – and then it is not in my hands to be here or not to be here.”
Chelsea, who face Brighton on Wednesday night, are currently sixth in the table and in a good position to qualify for Europe next season. That scenario would have felt out of reach just a few months ago after a poor start to the campaign.
“It is important to keep a strong mentality and really believe that we can get [into Europe],” Pochettino said.
“It is true that it is going to be two really tough games because tomorrow against Brighton is a really good team and they are going to be really tough to play against, and then [we have] Bournemouth at home [on the final day].
“The most important thing is to believe. The team is doing well, in the second part of the season – in the last 26 or 27 games – I think we are doing really well.
“We need to keep in this way, always trying to give our best, to compete and keep improving. If we can compete well in the last two games then we have the possibility to get into Europe, which would be amazing for us.”
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