New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly continued his clear out of the club following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday. The head coach departed west London just a year and three months after winning the Champions League title. Despite the recent triumph, issues between the two forces went beyond results on the pitch.
Many on social media were shocked when news broke of Tuchel’s firing. Chelsea have struggled in the early stages of their current campaign. A demoralizing defeat in their opening Champions League match on Tuesday was the team’s third loss in seven matches. Nevertheless, it appears as if the wheels may have already been in motion to sack the German regardless of the Dinamo Zagreb defeat.
Thomas Tuchel’s time at Chelsea: A detached person
The relationship between Boehly and Tuchel soured fairly quickly, according to The Athletic. Some of the most interesting revelations in the report from anonymous sources include:
1) Communication between Boehly and Tuchel apparently ceased following Chelsea’s 3-0 loss to Leeds last month. This is despite the fact that just two days prior to the blow at Leeds, the German coach made headlines when he announced talks about a contract extension with the club.
“There are talks, but I think given the situation where we come from and where we are right now, in the middle of the transfer period, I think it is for the best if I focus on my team and being competitive,” stated Tuchel.
“You know how glad I am to be here and how much I like it. It is a good thing.”
The German was fired less than three weeks later.
2) Along with the bad losses and interesting press conferences, Tuchel also supposedly annoyed Boehly by being absent from certain recruitment meetings. The head coach instead sent his agent in his place.
3) Transfer recruitment was also a source of tension between the two as well. Boehly previously labeled Tuchel a “nightmare” to deal with. The American owner wanted to pursue superstar Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, but Tuchel had other ideas.
Tuchel perhaps even saw the writing on the wall during discussions about the Marc Cucurella transfer. The Blues were chasing the Brighton and Hove fullback for quite some time prior to his eventual transfer to Chelsea in early August. In talks about the player, Boehly apparently spoke with a comprehensive understanding of Graham Potter’s coaching career. Potter is set to be named as Tuchel’s successor.
4) The Athletic reports that Tuchel did not initiate a single conversation with one first-team player for more than a year, offering no guidance on how the player could get back into his team whenever they fell out of the starting eleven.
5) This summer, Tuchel employed “the unusual tactic of arranging two separate player meetings: one for those who wanted to stay and fight for the club, and another for those either uncertain about their futures or minded to leave.”
Since Boehly purchased Chelsea, several officials have either stepped down or have been let go. Chairman Bruce Beck, director Marina Granovskaia, and advisor Petr Cech have all recently left the club this summer. The decision to let the former goalkeeper icon go seemed to also not sit well with Tuchel.
Chelsea start their post-Tuchel era with a trip to Fulham on Saturday.
Photo credit: IMAGO / Pixsell
