Thomas Tuchel has addressed his own position following Roman Abramovich’s decision to sell Chelsea – insisting he has no plans to walk away.
The German admitted his shock after Abramovich’s stunning announcement on Wednesday. But he is adamant that his future lies at Stamford Bridge.
“I said many times I love working in Premier League,” said Tuchel on Friday. “I love being in England and feeling the tradition and love for sports in general, and football in particular. It’s an amazing place to be.
“Chelsea, for me, is a perfect fit. I love being here. I love everything about the club. Hopefully it continues.
“There is now an uncertainty, but isn’t there always as a football manager? I am used and trained to live with it. Of course, different levels and this is quite a level I have to be honest. I am positive, I hope things will end well.”
Buyers have been instructed to place official bids by March 15, with billionaires Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss emerging as leading the race to buy Abramovich out.
That will place questions over the future of key figures at the club, including director Marina Granovskaia and chairman Bruce Buck. It also places doubts over Tuchel’s summer transfer plans.
Abramovich had intended to back him heavily in the market after winning the Champions League and Club World Cup in little over a year in charge. But it remains to be seen how any new owners will approach recruitment.
Tuchel admitted plans were on hold, but added: “To be very honest there are no talks at the moment for the summer. We are not going on, not with Marina, not with Petr [Cech], it’s simply a bit too early.
“There are always ideas and reflections on the subject. But the main focus in the last weeks, even without all the noise, was on the different competitions in the last weeks. To be as successful as we can be, and to bring out the best in our team.
“So no worries in this particular case on the summer, because there’s still a long time until summer.”
There is also the issue over out of contract players Toni Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta, who Chelsea have been in talks with for months.
“Maybe the bottom line is that we cannot help it,” added Tuchel. “It is what it is. You never know. Maybe it has a positive effect on the negotiations, maybe it has a negative effect. We cannot predict it.
“I would not like to predict the different scenarios because we cannot change it and we would just lose focus on it. Everyone in the situation, of course, feels differently about it.
“Still, I hope for the best outcome. I still think we have something to offer and that Chelsea are a strong club and will stay a strong club. He sells a strong, solid and very well organised club on the highest level.”
We are employees and we are still in a very privileged position.
Technical advisor Cech held a talk with staff at the club’s Cobham training ground following Abramovich’s announcement. But Tuchel admitted he could offer no guarantees.
He said: “No assurances, because how could he or anybody? We cannot predict the future and nobody can. It was more just the bottom line that we can allow ourselves to keep on going and do what we did in the last days, to focus on sports.
“We are employees and we are still in a very privileged position. That was more or less the message.”
Asked if any new owner could expect the same success as Abramovich, Tuchel said: “We’ll see. Let’s see. We’ll see in the next 20 years. Whoever buys it is lucky to have it.”
