After Roman Abramovich declared he was selling Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel recounted what Petr Cech told the playing and coaching staff at Stamford Bridge.
Abramovich’s 19-year reign as Chelsea’s owner is expected to come to an end after the club is put up for sale.
The Russian tycoon previously turned down proposals for Chelsea totaling £2 billion, but his stance has shifted in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the possibility of sanctions.
In a statement posted just before Chelsea’s FA Cup match against Luton Town on Wednesday night, Abramovich stated he was selling the club.
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Following Chelsea’s 3-2 triumph at Kenilworth Road, Tuchel claims Cech, the club’s technical director, provided a “briefing” to the players and coaching staff. At his pre-match press conference on Friday morning, Tuchel stated that they had a debrief from Petr following the Luton game.
He provided a fast briefing to everyone in the building, explaining the scenario, which wasn’t too different from what they already knew.
They have no choice but to live with this circumstance, so it is pointless to be concerned. They don’t wield much power, if any at all, but that was the bottom line.
They are free to concentrate solely on football and to give it their all. Cech didn’t just speak to the team; he spoke to the entire staff.
They attempt to create an environment where you feel comfortable and tranquil as soon as you enter the facility, since they do this every day.
This may be useful in dealing with the problem right now. Of course, there is uncertainty, and everyone in the building—there are 100 individuals—will have various reactions to it.
Some people will be terrified, others will be excited, and still others will be unhappy. Tuchel believes that everyone has the right to do whatever they want, but that they should be able to focus on what they love the most, which is football, and play at the highest level possible.
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What gives him hope is that they’ve done it twice in these situations, against Liverpool and Luton Town; they’ve put in very focused and very strong performances both times.
The organization was, as usual, flawless. As a result, Tuchel is certain that they will be able to compete tomorrow as a result of this. This is what they expect from themselves as well.
When asked about the specifics of what Cech told the players and staff, Tuchel said it was more about the bottom line, that they could keep going and doing what they did in the previous days, which was to focus on sports.
They are employees, and they are quite fortunate right now. They must not give up. That was, in essence, the message.
Given the uncertainty, Tuchel added that Cech gave the players “no promises” about their futures at the club.
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He couldn’t give any guarantees, because how could he? How could anyone think that? Nobody can forecast the future, “the German chief stated.
Chelsea will face Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday, and Tuchel is wary of Sean Dyche’s team, who held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in November.
The European champions are third in the table, while Burnley are 18th, and will need to bounce back after losing the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool last weekend.