London — The harsh dismissal of Thomas Tuchel demonstrates that the change in ownership at Stamford Bridge has not ushered in an era of tolerance.
Despite his background, the German manager was initially given a contract for only 18 months when he joined a Premier League side. He was well aware of the fate that befalls incompetent managers.
Tuchel, upon his unveiling in January 2021, remarked, “What does it change?” If they are not satisfied with me, they will fire me regardless.
During Roman Abramovich’s phenomenally successful rule, which ended in May when Todd Boehly’s consortium took over, a culture of hiring and firing became the norm.
Tuchel was awarded a two-year contract extension after he won the Champions League in May 2021, just four months after inheriting an underperforming team from Frank Lampard.
But fewer than 16 months after Chelsea’s victory over Manchester City in Porto, and following a massive transfer window at Stamford Bridge, he is now unemployed.
In May, Boehly’s consortium paid a world-record £4.25 billion ($4.9 billion) to acquire Chelsea after Russian billionaire Abramovich said he was selling the club following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The following week, the United Kingdom imposed restrictions on Abramovich, characterizing him as a member of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.
The new management spent almost £200 million on a roster of star players that included Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
And Tuchel appeared to have earned the new owners’ confidence.
After their time together at Borussia Dortmund, he lobbied for Aubameyang’s acquisition and reportedly cooled Boehly’s interest in Cristiano Ronaldo, who wanted to leave Manchester United.
Erratic
Yet, only seven games into the new season, the 49-year-old was let go after suffering demoralizing losses to Leeds, Southampton, and Dinamo Zagreb.
Consistent with his experience at Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, the player’s performance has declined following a promising start.
Despite the problems caused by the fines placed on Abramovich, which hindered the club’s operations, Chelsea won the Club World Cup, reached two domestic cup finals, and finished in the top four of the Premier League last year.
However, the anticipated Premier League title challenge following the club-record purchase of attacker Romelu Lukaku for £97 million never materialized.
Lukaku complained openly that he was unable to adapt to Tuchel’s preferred method and was loaned back to Inter Milan at a significant cost to the Blues.
Recent reports indicated that other attacking players were dissatisfied with Tuchel’s techniques and angry that they were not given the opportunity to flourish.
Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, and Hakim Ziyech have all struggled to justify their hefty transfer costs, whereas Timo Werner rejoined RB Leipzig last month.
This season, scoring goals has been a recurring issue, and the defensive stability that characterized Tuchel’s early success at the club has been lacking.
Tuchel may point to an untimely injury to midfielder N’Golo Kante, a loss of form for goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, and the necessity for new recruits to settle in.
However, his own behavior had become increasingly unpredictable as the strain intensified.
He was dismissed for two physical clashes with Tottenham manager Antonio Conte in last month’s 2-2 draw and criticized his players for a “soft mindset” in the loss to Southampton.
Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to a Zagreb team with an astoundingly dismal Champions League record was the final straw.
Tuchel stated after the game, “We are definitely not where we need to be and where we are capable of being.”
The problem, according to Boehly, is a man who has reached two Champions League finals with two different clubs in the past three seasons.
Now, the pressure is on the American to make the proper hiring decision in order to maximize his investment on the pitch.
AFP
London — The harsh dismissal of Thomas Tuchel demonstrates that the change in ownership at Stamford Bridge has not ushered in an era of tolerance.
Despite his background, the German manager was initially given a contract for only 18 months when he joined a Premier League side. He was well aware of the fate that befalls incompetent managers.
Tuchel, upon his unveiling in January 2021, remarked, “What does it change?” If they are not satisfied with me, they will fire me regardless.
During Roman Abramovich’s phenomenally successful rule, which ended in May when Todd Boehly’s consortium took over, a culture of hiring and firing became the norm.
Tuchel was awarded a two-year contract extension after he won the Champions League in May 2021, just four months after inheriting an underperforming team from Frank Lampard.
But fewer than 16 months after Chelsea’s victory over Manchester City in Porto, and following a massive transfer window at Stamford Bridge, he is now unemployed.
In May, Boehly’s consortium paid a world-record £4.25 billion ($4.9 billion) to acquire Chelsea after Russian billionaire Abramovich said he was selling the club following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The following week, the United Kingdom imposed restrictions on Abramovich, characterizing him as a member of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.
The new management spent almost £200 million on a roster of star players that included Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
And Tuchel appeared to have earned the new owners’ confidence.
After their time together at Borussia Dortmund, he lobbied for Aubameyang’s acquisition and reportedly cooled Boehly’s interest in Cristiano Ronaldo, who wanted to leave Manchester United.
Erratic
Yet, only seven games into the new season, the 49-year-old was let go after suffering demoralizing losses to Leeds, Southampton, and Dinamo Zagreb.
Consistent with his experience at Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, the player’s performance has declined following a promising start.
Despite the problems caused by the fines placed on Abramovich, which hindered the club’s operations, Chelsea won the Club World Cup, reached two domestic cup finals, and finished in the top four of the Premier League last year.
However, the anticipated Premier League title challenge following the club-record purchase of attacker Romelu Lukaku for £97 million never materialized.
Lukaku complained openly that he was unable to adapt to Tuchel’s preferred method and was loaned back to Inter Milan at a significant cost to the Blues.
Recent reports indicated that other attacking players were dissatisfied with Tuchel’s techniques and angry that they were not given the opportunity to flourish.
Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, and Hakim Ziyech have all struggled to justify their hefty transfer costs, whereas Timo Werner rejoined RB Leipzig last month.
This season, scoring goals has been a recurring issue, and the defensive stability that characterized Tuchel’s early success at the club has been lacking.
Tuchel may point to an untimely injury to midfielder N’Golo Kante, a loss of form for goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, and the necessity for new recruits to settle in.
However, his own behavior had become increasingly unpredictable as the strain intensified.
He was dismissed for two physical clashes with Tottenham manager Antonio Conte in last month’s 2-2 draw and criticized his players for a “soft mindset” in the loss to Southampton.
Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to a Zagreb team with an astoundingly dismal Champions League record was the final straw.
Tuchel stated after the game, “We are definitely not where we need to be and where we are capable of being.”
The problem, according to Boehly, is a man who has reached two Champions League finals with two different clubs in the past three seasons.
Now, the pressure is on the American to make the proper hiring decision in order to maximize his investment on the pitch.
AFP