Chelsea former boss Thomas Tuchel has finally broken his silence after he was sacked by the Stamford Bridge club on Wednesday morning following the Blues 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in their Champions League group stage opener on Tuesday night.
It has been reported that the German who has since been replaced by former Brighton boss Graham Potter pleaded for his job during his 10-minute brief meeting with Todd Boehly when he reportedly asked the Chelsea owner to give him more time to turn things around at Stamford Bridge.
Meanwhile, the report reaching National Daily reveals that the former PSG manager who led Chelsea to 2020/2021 Champions League triumph in his first six months at Stamford Bridge has now revealed his pain in a statement written ‘many years’ earlier than he had hoped, thanking the staff, players and fans for their support.
‘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,’ Tuchel wrote.
‘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.’
Thiago Silva is among the Chelsea players to have paid tribute to Tuchel following his dismissal.
Silva – who played under Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain as well as Chelsea – reacted to the news with a heartfelt message on social media, wishing he ‘could have done more’ to keep him in the job.
‘Beyond being good professionals, you and your staff were amazing human beings,’ wrote the veteran defender on Instagram.
‘It was a real privilege to meet you and work with you. Thank you for everything Thomas Tuchel, I’m sorry I could not be more helpful! God bless you and your family.’
The 49-year old who made history at Chelsea when he became the first manager to win both the Champions League and the Super Cup the same year had gone ahead to lead the Blues to the Club World cup victory while also reaching two more cup finals during his 19-month stay at Stamford Bridge