Thomas Tuchel has revealed the "shock" he felt at being dismissed from his role as Chelsea boss in a meeting last year. The German coach led the Blues to several trophies, including the Champions League, during his tenure that lasted just over one year in west London.
The decision came after a slow start to the current campaign, with Tuchel's final game coming in a defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League group stages. New owners Boehly-Clearlake opted for a change in direction to align with their philosophy, detailing that in a club statement.
It read: "On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the Club would like to place on record its gratitude to Thomas and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club. Thomas will rightly have a place in Chelsea’s history after winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his time here.
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"As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition."
Graham Potter was appointed swiftly after, with some doubts growing over his capability after a winless run that stretched across all competitions. It led to some fans calling for a return for Tuchel, though that seemed unlikely given his dismissal and the backing of the head coach from the board.
The German has since returned to management though, taking up a role at Bayern Munich with plenty of trophies still up for grabs. In his recent press conference, there were questions on his exit from Chelsea, as Tuchel revealed: "It was a kind of a shock.
"It was an unusual and very short meeting at eight o'clock the morning after the Champions League game [against Zagreb]. It was a three-to-five minute meeting. I was also not in the mood to talk longer.
"We had the feeling we were in the right spot at the right time to achieve big things and stay longer. We had big relationships, huge relationships, within the staff. We still do. How long did it take to get over it? It still hurts not to see these people on a daily basis.
"I've said it before, I love this job. I have the passion. The week here [at Bayern] was very demanding but there's no funnier place than a dressing room and a football staff. It has so much love, so much joy, so many good jokes. That is what I have missed the most.
"[At Chelsea] we built an extraordinary bond because of the circumstances. We started during Covid and Brexit, then came the change of ownership. So we were a strong, strong, strong group on the training ground and it was not in my hands to take the decision [to leave].
"I was no longer part of this group, and it felt like a family. So now I have found a new challenge. I am happy to be back at a very ambitious, big club and straight away I feel the energy. I still have a good bond with the [Chelsea] players.
"We still text. There are many, many messages. I still have a lot of friends there and this will not end because of a new job. There will always be people in the football industry that say I am difficult or complicated. I don't think I am difficult to work with. I think I am easy to get on with."
It remains to be seen how influential that decision could be on both Chelsea and Bayern in the near and short term. However, both will embark on different paths that could cross in the Champions League semi-finals.
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