Thomas Tuchel breaks silence on Chelsea exit
September 7th, 2022. Roughly 100 days after the Todd Boehly-led consortium finalized their purchase and after 100 matches in charge of Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel was relieved of his duties as Blues boss.
Very little has been heard since from the German. Off-field, personal issues combined with the sacking that came as a shock to many meant that Tuchel had to fly to India for a three-week Ayurvedic rejuvenation therapy detox.
He finally cleared the air on how feels after being axed and relived some of his best moments from the Chelsea dugout.
It’s fair to say he didn’t hide his sorrow, nor was he relieved about leaving the club that, according to him, was equivalent to home.
“I loved every day at Chelsea. It came to an end too early for me, but it was out of my hands. This is also what you sign up for,” said Tuchel, in an exclusive with Sportstar.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel scripted his name as first Chelsea manager to lead the club to the finals of the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Champions League.
Of course, he won the latter, masterminding a dream-like run that saw the Blues beat Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Porto, and Manchester City.
Recalling the outstanding job he did coming into the club mid-season, he continued “It was of such a level that you never expect to win it. We played the role of an underdog. When I joined the club was placed ninth in the league, so even qualifying for the Champions League was an achievement. There were many games that I was really happy with – the ones against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Porto and the final (1-0 against Manchester City).”
He was more than just a tactician. He weathered several storms for Chelsea, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and sanctions on former owner Roman Abramovich.
While the sanctions were passed, none other than Tuchel took the responsibility of being the chief spokesperson for the club where expectations on the pitch are already quite lofty.
But with that chapter closed and Chelsea well and truly in the Graham Potter era, Tuchel will have plenty of suitors. “I haven’t made a decision yet. It is now time for me to take a break. Some clubs have been calling my manager, but we agreed that he would not call me here for these past 18 days,” he remarked.
Finally, Tuchel also opined on who he believes are the top teams to watch out for this forthcoming FIFA World Cup. He concluded: “Brazil, France, Argentina, Germany and England. Belgium and Senegal. And don’t forget Spain. At the World Cup, I am looking forward to watching the players I trained.”
At first glance, it appears Tuchel is waiting for another big team. He’s been recently touted as Gareth Southgate’s successor with the English national team, so he’s unlikely to rush into any decisions moving forward.
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: RLaMenace. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.