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Thomas Tuchel ‘devastated’ as he breaks silence on Chelsea exit with 131-word statement

Thomas Tuchel say he has been left ‘devastated’ as he breaks his silence on the exit from Chelsea with a 131-word statement on social media.

He has spoken out for the first time after it was announced earlier this week that he had been sacked by the Blues after 19 months in charge.

Tuchel took charge of Chelsea at the start of 2021 following Frank Lampard’s exit after a poor run of form left them 9th in the Premier League.

The club enjoyed a superb end to the 2020/21 campaign as the German guided them to a fourth-place finish against the odds.

They also beat Manchester City in the Champions League final to win the trophy for the second time in their history.

Tuchel’s first full season in charge in 2021/22 was not as successful however. It was hoped that they would challenge for the title but they ended up 19 points adrift of Manchester City, finishing 3rd.

In an attempt to kick on under their new ownership, £250m was spent in the summer to bolster their squad and hopes were reignited for some of their fanbase that they could challenge for the title or win more trophies.

But Tuchel’s exit was confirmed just seven games into the 2022/23 season. This came after defeats against the likes of Leeds United, Southampton and Dinamo Zagreb.

Graham Potter was quickly identified as their first choice to replace Tuchel and the ex-Brighton manager was appointed on Thursday afternoon. 

On Sunday, he wrote: “This is one of the most difficult statements I have ever had to write – and it is one which I hoped I would not need to do for many years. I am devastated that my time at Chelsea has come to an end.

“This is a club where I felt at home, both professionally and personally. Thank you so much to all the staff, the players and the supporters for making me feel very welcome from the start.

“The pride and joy I felt at helping the team to win the Champions League and the Club World Cup will stay with me forever. I am honoured to have been a part of this club’s history and the memories of the last 19 months will always have a special place in my heart.”

After his sacking was confirmed, reports emerged that on a ‘shocked’ Thomas Tuchel who reportedly pleaded not to be sacked in what ended up being a brutal 10-minute phone call.

It was said that Tuchel reported for work at Chelsea’s Cobham training base earlier today but nobody was there to greet him.

The former PSG and Borussia Dortmund manager was quickly ushered into a conference call with the Chelsea hierarchy after which he was left ‘shocked’ having asked for time to mastermind an improvement in the team’s form.

In a relentless 10 minute meeting, Tuchel pleaded for more time as he urged for a chance to turn things around.

But his request fell on deaf ears he was informed there was simply no time left.

He then quickly gathered his belongings before saying goodbye to staff and leaving the complex, and it’s unclear whether Chelsea’s underperforming stars were present as Tuchel bid farewell to the club.

In his first interview as Chelsea coach after leaving Brighton & Hove Albion, Graham Potter outlined his aims for the west London side.

“It’s about creating a team that competes, that has respect for each other, that’s honest, that works for each other. So it’s a combination of, I would say, human and football values that we try to work with.

“I think you have to understand that they (players) are human beings first and the key thing is to try to understand them, understand what motivates them and understand what they’re like as people.

“And then from that, try to come to some common ground, try to build relationships and try to communicate effectively on a daily basis, build respect, build trust, build honesty. So my starting point will always be the person first.”

On Sunday, Brighton published Potter’s open letter to his now former club and supporters. Click HERE to read that.

There was plenty of reaction with Thomas Tuchel ‘devastated’ as he breaks silence on his Chelsea exit with a surprise 131-word statement on Twitter…

@ljvyas: Gosh what a shock! Did not for 1 min expect this. You brought a new dimension to your club. Shame on you the owners. They will rue this decision one day. I am a LCFC fan. Would be an honour to have you here. Players & fans would love you x💙

@CFCCentral3: One month before that CL final, my Dad had a cardiac arrest. I was in intensive care with him. Ten years before that, I had been in and out of hospitals, taking my Mom to chemos. After two years, I lost her. At that time, signing waivers and filling forms and watching the only other thing important to me in the world lie in another hospital bed, long, laboured breaths reminding me of a decade ago, I had never felt so vulnerable, so alone. In the weeks after, I saw him recover his strength as surely and surely as we blitzed through the CL rounds. It was like finding two of my worlds gently embrace, finding their feet. You were part of the glue that held my world together. Words can never come close, yet, this is a futile attempt to try and put across just how what you did on a football pitch transcended boundaries far above and beyond the lines drawn in the green. I will forever be grateful for those moments – sitting quietly in the dark, biting down on my hand so as to not wake my recovering father up, watching us light up Europe. Wishing you every happiness and success in the world, Thomas. Thank you.

@HeikeM91: I cant describe the feelings & respect I have for this man…Im heartbroken he left. We love you so much @TTuchelofficial 😪 danke für die beste Zeit ever… you made me fall in love with this club again. Still crying but fuck I loved every second! Wish you all the best 💙💙

@iam_brau: Thank you Tuchel, we appreciate you. Thank you for the memories, the happiness you brought here. Wish you well always 💙💙💙💙 you are always welcome here

@tashrich_cfc: The total outpouring of admiration, respect and love in the replies from across the fanbase says it all really. Incredibly rare to have a manager held in such high esteem and for him to be sacked… well. It’s gonna take a while.

 

@Gate7Shed: The man got the club more than any other manager we’ve had, won us the CL and made us unstoppable at one point (pre Chilwell injury v Juve), thank you @TTuchelofficial 👏🏻

@Blue76SC: Thanks for all the great times you gave us Thomas. We loved you and very sad to see you go. Hope we see you again 💙👏👏

@Joe_Zindani: So sorry to have seen you sacked Thomas, you’ve been class both on and off the pitch during your time, I wish you all the success in the world moving forwards. Forever a blue 💙

@nstapley74: true supporters of our club did not like this decision! Thank you for being part of our club and our history and thank you for all you did best wishes for your next adventure #foreverblue #tommytuchelbluearmy

@cfc_mido: Thank You will never be enough. I hate sentimentalism in for managers and players, but I really loved you. You made us look like an invincible team, for a period we were not scared of nonody,you created one of the most dominant CL winning side ever. It was a pleasure to have you.

@CFCExtra: I understand people’s arguments for it but Thomas Tuchel getting sacked will never sit well with me. Too soon. He was one of the best managers we’ve ever had and I’ll always be so grateful for everything he achieved. Thanks for every and please come back one day Thomas! 💙

@PavanCFC: No tweet when he left Dortmund. No tweet when he left PSG. A thread when he leaves Chelsea. We’re a special club, and he’s a special man. Thank you for making dreams come true @TTuchelofficial 💙

@OllieGlanvill: we’ll remember most Porto but also Lille (A) when you had to front up during the complete silence and uncertainty from the previous board. Don’t think we’ve ever been closer between manager and fans than this moment. Auf Wiedersehen und vielen Dank, TT

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