Why Tuchel will be a popular appointment in the Chelsea dressing room
Thomas Tuchel is set to become Chelsea’s new manager after Frank Lampard was sacked on Monday, with the club’s hierarchy hoping the German is the man to unlock the potential of their most gifted talents.
Tuchel is one of the most complex manager personalities in European football. The 47-year-old is known as a political power player and control freak, but also as a tactical visionary and methodical thinker. He was dismissed by Paris St-Germain in late December after months full of fights between him and sporting director Leonardo.
While some in France claim Tuchel never brought the best out of a star-studded squad, PSG still reached the Champions League final in August and won back-to-back domestic titles. His track record was certainly good enough for Chelsea’s board, who approached him shortly before Lampard’s dismissal.
At first, Tuchel was unsure whether he should take the job midway through the season, but he has envisaged a move to the Premier League for quite some time, first engaging in talks with Chelsea in 2017 after he departed from Borussia Dortmund.
Tuchel views the job at Stamford Bridge as a chance to prove himself in England, just like Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola – two men he admires – have done before him.