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Thomas tuchel was appointed Chelsea manager with an 18-month contract on Tuesday, tasked with leading the underperforming Blues to the Champions League next season.
The 47-year-old German replaces fired Frank Lampard to become Chelsea’s thirteenth manager since Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003.
“I would like to thank Chelsea FC for their trust in me and my staff,” Tuchel said.
“We all have the utmost respect for the work of Frank Lampard and the legacy he created at Chelsea.
“At the same time, I can’t wait to meet my new team and compete in the most exciting league in football. I’m grateful to be part of the Chelsea family now, it feels amazing!”
Tuchel will take over for the first time when the Wolves visit Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Lampard, Chelsea’s record scorer as a player, was sacked on Monday after a five-game losing streak in eight league games that saw his side fall to ninth in the table, 11 points behind leaders Manchester United.
That was not the return Abramovich hoped for after a £ 200 million spending spree in the summer transfer window at a time when most of Europe’s top clubs were backing down due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. .
“It is never easy to change head coach mid-season, but we are very happy to have one of the best coaches in Europe in Thomas Tuchel,” said Chelsea manager Marina Granovskaia.
“There is still a lot to play and a lot to achieve, this season and beyond.”
Werner, Havertz riddle
Tuchel’s task will be to bring out the best in fellow Germans Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, who have struggled to live up to their prices in their first months in England.
Despite guiding Paris Saint-Germain to their first Champions League final in August, Tuchel was sacked by the French champions last month.
His fight with PSG sporting director Leonardo played a major role in that and his habit of conflicting relationships with his employers does not bode well for his prospects at a club with such a famous and impatient owner.
“Tuchel will be exposed to exactly the same rules as Frank,” said Gary Neville, Lampard’s former teammate in England.
“We will talk about letting him go in the next 18 months to two years, I’m pretty sure of that.”
Tuchel previously held talks with Chelsea to replace Antonio Conte after he left Dortmund in 2017.
Instead, it ended up in the French capital, where it won back-to-back league titles and ended PSG’s streak of crashing in the Champions League in the round of 16.
Chelsea will face a daunting round of 16 tie when the Champions League returns next month against La Liga leaders Atlético de Madrid.
Tuchel also has to win the support of Chelsea who have been upset over the handling of Lampard’s dismissal.
“Absolutely gutted. Frank Lampard is, and always will be, a Chelsea Football Club legend“the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust tweeted about his departure.
Lampard achieved a fourth place finish in his first season in charge of securing a place in the Champions League despite the transfer ban and sale of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.
Yet his 1.67 Premier League points-per-game average is the lowest of any Chelsea manager in the Abramovich era.
“I am disappointed that I did not have time this season to take the club forward and take it to the next level,” said Lampard.
Start a new journey! ????#WelcomeTuchel pic.twitter.com/teIwIw4XvO
– Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 26, 2021
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