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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Tony Banks

Thomas Tuchel provides Chelsea update - but still has not spoken to Roman Abramovich

Thomas Tuchel admitted he had not spoken to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich since the Russian dramatically decided to sell the club.

Abramovich announced he was selling Chelsea after 19 years at the helm of the Stamford Bridge club on Wednesday in a decision that rocked football.

The Russian tycoon wants around £3.5 billion for the club, and has several bids on the table, with American tycoon Todd Boehly in pole position after teaming up with Swiss businessman Hansjorg Wyss, and Turkish billionaire Muhsin Bayrack also claiming to be in talks.

But Tuchel, whose side face Burnley at Turf Moor today, has not spoken to Abramovich since his decision.

The German said: “I was not in direct contact with the owner, which is not a surprising thing because we have not had so much contact directly.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Are you sad to see Abramovich sell up? Let us know in the comments section.

Thomas Tuchel, Manager of Chelsea and Roman Abramovich, Owner of Chelsea celebrate following their team's victory in UEFA Champions League final over Manchester City (Getty Images)

“My contact is always Petr Cech and Marina Granovskaia, on a very regular basis, which is until now always excellent.

“Chelsea was always a Roman Abramovich club in my point of view, and was run by a compassionate and committed owner.

“This is so new, and such a big change of course, that I’m not even sure how I feel about it. I’m very happy to come here to work, because on a daily basis, once we are in the building there is not a big change.

“The owner was not here for lunch and not here for meetings, not here for training - so this does actually at the moment look very normal. It gives everybody a good feeling.”

Tuchel admitted that he was confident that Chelsea’s set up culture would get them through “the storm” - and insisted he was not scared by the prospect of chance under a new owner.

The Chelsea boss said: “We have installed a culture at the club.

“We are trying to live this culture on a daily basis, so we have all the tools we need to navigate through a storm. I could feel it coming.

“You try and install principles. You need to be clear - and when the storm’s coming you need to function on the basis that you can rely on each other. The foundation is the club culture - it was always football first. This is what we do right now.”

Roman Abramovich celebrates with the Club World Cup that Chelsea won in the United Arab Emirates last month (FIFA via Getty Images)

As for Tuchel, he declared: “I’m not a very scared person. I don’t worry too much.

“I train myself to not lose my head about what can happen.

“The owner is selling a well structured, top organisation. I don't see why we should be in fear. This club is so well placed, so well organised, so functional, it's a pleasure to work here. It's the highest level that I have experienced.

“Yes, we will have a new owner - but does that mean the organisation is in question, or the structure? I don't think it is a given.

“Maybe it is. If it is we need to talk again - but to think about it now makes no sense.”

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