Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has opened up for the first time after he was sacked by the Blues last week. The London club parted ways with their Champions League winning coach after an abysmal run of results was capped-off by an embarrassing defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the elite European competition. New owner Todd Boehly ran out of patience, despite splashing £271 million in the transfer market.
Tuchel was handed with seven new signings by the club worth £271 million, making them the biggest spenders this summer. However, fast forward to his Zagreb game, the Blues were heading into their Champions League opener on the back of picking just 3 wins from 6 Premier League games. And the defeat in Croatia proved to be a nail in the coffin for the German at Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel ‘devastated’ following his sacking after leading the club to European glory last year
Thomas Tuchel became an instant hit at Stamford Bridge following his appointment in January 2021. He steered the Blues to Champions League glory just four months later, lifting the trophy against a mighty Manchester City team. A UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup followed as well, with Chelsea being touted as the Premier League title challengers at the start of the last season.
A third-place finish and guiding the Blues to FA Cup and League Cup finals was still labelled as not enough by Tuchel last season. A change in ownership was another difficult phase for Tuchel and his team, as they survived it and welcomed Boehly. The American quickly injected cash flow in the team, making available some lucrative signings to Tuchel.
Yet the German couldn’t make his expensive team click together as they faced two defeats and a draw in first five games of the new season. Reports suggested Thomas Tuchel was running out of time to convince the Americans and had to pay for it after the Champions League debacle. Following his immediate firing, it was the first time the 49-year-old took it to Twitter to express his feeling. He wrote:
“This is one of the most difficult statements I have ever had to write – and it is one which I hoped I would not need to do for many years. I am devastated that my time at Chelsea has come to an end. This is a club where I felt at home, both professionally and personally. Thank you so much to all the staff, the players and the supporters for making me feel very welcome from the start.
“The pride and joy I felt at helping the team to win the Champions League and the Club World Cup will stay with me forever. I am honoured to have been a part of this club’s history and the memories of the last 19 months will always have a special place in my heart.”
While the German was penning the note, his successor Graham Potter would have been indulged in overseeing his first training session at Cobham. Chelsea, within the 24 hours of Tuchel’s sacking grabbed Potter from Brighton to lead their project. Potter has penned a long-term five year contract at Stamford Bridge, and will be building a whole a new system at the club according to multiple sources.