Thomas Tuchel: Chelsea head coach has ‘no problem’ staying at club despite Roman Abramovich’s plan to sell | Football News
Thomas Tuchel says he has “no problem” remaining Chelsea head coach despite Roman Abramovich’s plan to sell up, insisting he “loves everything about the club”.
Russian billionaire Abramovich, who has owned Chelsea since 2003 and bankrolled the club on their way to winning 19 major trophies, announced his intention to sell on Wednesday in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The 55-year-old has already received offers for Chelsea, with Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and American investor Todd Boehly understood to be two of the parties interested.
Tuchel, who was appointed under Abramovich’s ownership in January 2021, admits the owner’s decision to sell has created “uncertainty”, but has no doubts about his own future.
Asked if he would have a problem remaining at Stamford Bridge, the head coach said: “No, the opposite of a problem staying here.
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N’Golo Kante says the Chelsea squad have been shocked by the news Roman Abramovich is looking to sell the club but has also expressed his hope the Russian invasion of Ukraine ends as soon as possible
“I said many times that I love working in the Premier League, I love to be in England and feel the tradition and the love for sports in general and football in particular. It’s an amazing place to be.
“Chelsea is, for me, the perfect fit. I love to be here, I love everything about the club and hopefully it continues.
“There is uncertainty, but isn’t there always for a football manager? I’m used to it on different levels. This is quite the level, I have to be honest, but I am positive and hope things will end well.”
Abramovich’s decision to walk away from Chelsea comes just three months before the transfer window opens, raising the possibility of the Blues being handicapped in the summer market if the ownership situation is not resolved by then.
Abramovich is unlikely to want to continue funding expensive signings if he is looking to sell the club, but Tuchel said he is yet to even discuss his desires for the summer with Marina Granovskaia, the director, or Petr Cech, the technical and performance advisor.
“Actually, to be very honest, there are no talks for summer – not with Marina, not with Petr,” the head coach explained. “It’s simply a bit too early.
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Premier League chief executive, Richard Masters has welcomed Roman Abramovich’s decision to sell Chelsea following the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saying his position has become unsustainable.
“There are always ideas and reflections on the subject, but the main focus was on – even without all the noise – all the different competitions and to be as successful as we can be.
“We still have some work to do to constantly improve, but we’re in a good place at the moment – I feel the team growing and getting better. So no worries in this particular case until summer. There’s still a long way to go.”
An added complication for Chelsea is the possible impact of Abramovich’s decision on contract negotiations with captain Cesar Azpilicueta, plus his fellow defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
The trio all have deals that expire at the end of the season and are of interest to European clubs, but Tuchel says he remains positive for the “best outcome”, and believes Chelsea will remain an attractive proposition for players regardless of Abramovich’s presence.
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Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante says the club are in a good position to finish in the top four this season and that he sees his future at the club.
Asked if the ownership situation could have ramifications for his chances of keeping his out-of-contract players, Tuchel said: “Yes, that’s the situation, and maybe the bottom line is that we cannot help it. It’s what is it.
“You never know – maybe there’s a positive effect on negotiations, maybe it has a negative effect. We cannot predict and I would like not to predict scenarios because we will just lose focus. Everyone has a different situation and feels different about it.
“Still I hope for the best outcome, still I think we have something to offer, still I think Chelsea is a strong club and will stay a strong club. Our owner decided to sell the club and he sells a strong, solid and very well-organised club on the highest level.”
‘Tuchel unlikely to walk out on Chelsea’
Sky Sports News’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:
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Kaveh Solhekol discusses why Roman Abramovich is selling Chelsea and how difficult it could be for him to get the sale completed
Thomas Tuchel has a contract until 2024 and, having dealt with him for a while and knowing the type of person that he is, I don’t think he’s going to walk out on Chelsea because of Abramovich’s decision to sell the club. But change can disrupt everything. If new owners come in, will they want their own person to be the manager? On the face of it, why wouldn’t you want Tuchel to be a part of your plans? He’s won the Champions League and the Club World Cup. I don’t get any sense from him that he’s not committed to Chelsea. But in the long term, who knows what will happen?
However, the sense I’m getting is that, if the club is sold, then Bruce Buck, the chairman, and Marina Granovskaia, the director, are unlikely to stay.
Staveley: Abramovich treatment unfair
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Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley says she ‘doesn’t think it’s fair’ that Roman Abramovich has decided to sell Chelsea because of a relationship ‘he may have’ with Russian President Vladimir Putin
Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley says Roman Abramovich has been treated unfairly, while she also dismissed concerns about Saudi Arabia’s role in the £300m takeover of the Mapgies.
Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, she said: “We are always going to have geopolitical issues. This world is never going to not have problems, and I know it is really hard and I am really sad today that someone [Roman Abramovich] is going to have a football club [Chelsea] taken away because of a relationship they may have with someone [Russian President Vladimir Putin]. I do not think that is particularly fair, actually, to be honest.
“But I also think that we have to hold all of our relationships to account. And I think that we have also got to remember with Saudi [Arabia] that it is an incredibly big, important country that I love. I love the people there. It is a young, vibrant population and I have seen Saudi [Arabia] change so much.
“And I am not talking now as [from a perspective of] Newcastle, I am talking as me. So these are my thoughts because I have really got to know a lot of people, and I am excited that… I would rather everybody look and get excited about football than being involved in war.”
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