Chelsea technical advisor Petr Cech says he hopes Thomas Tuchel remains Blues boss until the end of his contract, but admits the uncertainty around the club means the German’s future is not guaranteed.
The club are in a state of turmoil after owner Roman Abramovich was hit with sanctions by the UK Government earlier this week, on account of his ties to Vladimir Putin in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Chelsea have been granted a special licence to continue football operations, but are facing a financial crisis, with the terms of the licence meaning ticket and merchandise sales are currently banned, while broadcast revenue is frozen.
The Blues are hoping to secure an amended licence following talks with the Government, with some measures relaxed to ensure the club is able to function “as normal as possible”.
Tuchel has stated his commitment to the club on several occasions since the Abramovich news broke, but that has not stopped speculation over his future, with reports that Manchester United could seek to take advantage of the situation as they search for a new manager this summer.
Cech, the former goalkeeper who now works as a technical and performance advisor at the club, was asked about what comes next for the Champions League-winning manager ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Newcastle.
“Thomas has a contract until 2024, as it stands we have been told contracts will be valued and in that way we hope we will have him as a coach,” he said.
“He has been absolutely brilliant on every single level. But that is another thing, tomorrow the situation can change and my answer will be irrelevant.”
There is also significant uncertainty over some of the playing staff and in particular defenders Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
All three are out of contract at the end of the season and the current terms of Chelsea’s special licence bars the club from issuing new contracts.
“That is something we do not know at the moment,” Cech added, when asked about the trio’s futures. “That is why the conversations are going on.
“We would like to get these answers, how we can operate, what we can do with them and the team going forward. What are the boundaries and what are the opportunities for us, because without these answers it is difficult to plan. We go day by day.”
