Football

See Chelsea women coach emotional Tuchel farewell with ‘devastated’ Todd Boehly warning

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2 years ago

September 19, 2022

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Thomas Tuchel was a well-liked figure at Chelsea. His enthusiasm often spilled over onto the pitch, thrilling fans in a way that few managers have done at Stamford Bridge.

The German’s influence at the club came at a difficult time for everyone at Chelsea, with the club first dealing with the aftermath of Frank Lampard’s reign before dealing with political issues on and off the pitch with the announcement of the European Super League and the Ukrainian war, all while dealing with a new ownership group.

Tuchel was frequently left to his own defences in public. It made him someone fans could relate to and enjoy listening to, with the added benefit of being an elite tactician.

All of this makes it difficult to understand why performance dropped so dramatically.

Things fell apart at the club, in part due to internal strife as well as dissatisfaction with Todd Boehly and the new owners, and Tuchel lost the support of those he was managing.

Communication seemed to deteriorate and fade, tactics became desperate, and something had to give.

Graham Potter is now in charge, and Chelsea Women’s manager Emma Hayes, widely regarded as the best in England and one of the best in the world, is witnessing the tenth male manager in charge at Stamford Bridge since she arrived.

Hayes has won 11 trophies in her ten years, including five league titles in a row.

The 45-year-old is two years younger than Potter and took over as Blues manager in her mid-30s.

The trust given to her, in that she didn’t win her first trophy until 2015, is similar to the plan that Chelsea fans hope Boehly will now give Potter, and Hayes has hope for him because of their previous time together.

“Graham and I have been on courses together abroad,” she told Sky Sports. “Yes [we have a relationship], we know each other before hand, I’ve known him from before.

“We’ve had some educational experiences together, we’ve been in Germany and a couple of different places. Graham’s an amazing communicator, educator, leader. He’s inspirational. I really, really want him to do well here.”

Tuchel’s departure, according to Hayes, demonstrates the harsh world of football and the end of a working relationship with a man who shared some wonderful experiences with her. When asked about Tuchel, she stated: “I’m gutted.

“I love Thomas. He’s a great man, a great coach with a brilliant history, albeit short here, who’s had to go through lots of change. It’s disappointing and I’m super sad for him but Thomas will thrive anywhere.”

Speaking to the Guardian, Hayes also said: “Yes, we made time [to speak] but it’s fleeting when you can grab an hour to do that.

“We had a really good relationship.”

Individual awards at the highest level were won by both Hayes and Tuchel just over ten months ago, with Hayes winning FIFA’s The Best Football Coach for the male and female categories.

They had a good relationship, which summed up the club’s unity, but now everything has changed, and influential director Bruce Buck has left, which is difficult for Hayes to accept.

“Bruce has been humongous for me. I miss him already. He’s an amazing Chelsea guy because, as an American, he really understood the women’s game and pushed me to keep pushing the club. I always felt really trusted by him and Marina Granovskaia [the former director who handled contracts and transfers] so I was devastated when they left.

“Whenever there’s change, there’s apprehension. But during the takeover [when Roman Abramovich sold Chelsea to a consortium led by the American billionaire Todd Boehly], Bruce said: ‘It’s going to be different but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be worse.’ I say to my players all the time: ‘I want you to be open to change.’ I had to do that myself.

“Yes, I speak to Todd quite regularly. The interactions I’ve had with our current ownership group make me think they are going to be champions for women’s football. I am super excited because they can drive women’s football in this country to a new level.”

Boehly and company could do a lot worse than emulate Hayes and her team’s long-term success, and now that Potter is in charge, they might be able to keep the man in a successful relationship.