Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has released a heartbreaking statement following his sack last week.
The German coach was relieved of his duties after Chelsea’s woeful start to the season culminated in a 1-0 loss at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Tuesday.
However, the speed in which Chelsea managed to hire Graham Potter as Tuchel’s replacement suggests the decision made by the Blues to sack Tuchel was a long time coming.
Tuchel released a statement via his Twitter account on Sunday night.
“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.”
The tweets shared by Tuchel were met with much grief from Chelsea fans in the replies, who were shocked upon hearing of the German’s dismissal given their fondness of him as well as the success he brought to the Club in a short space of time.
During his time at Chelsea, Tuchel led his side to Champions League glory at the end of the 2020/2021 season, just 6 six months into the job. The Blues also finished runners-up in the FA cup that year, losing 1-0 to Leicester City in the final.
Despite the clear drop-off in form over the second half of last season, Chelsea ended third and reached the final of both of the Caraboa and FA Cup, where they fell short on penalties on both occasions. Chelsea will have to pay Tuchel £13million in compensation for his dismissal, according to the Daily Mail. This takes the total expenses of hiring and replacing managers to circa £30million, after Chelsea also had to meet Potter’s buyout clause upon his appointment.
