German coach Thomas Tuchel became the new head coach of Chelsea on Tuesday. The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain head coach replaced Englishman Frank Lampard who was fired on Sunday.
Tuchel agreed to sign an 18-month contract to accept the position at the London club. There is also a possibility that the contract will be extended by one year.
In a statement posted on Chelsea’s official website, Tuchel said, “I would like to thank Chelsea FC for their confidence in me and my staff. We all have the greatest respect for Frank Lampard’s work and the legacy he created at Chelsea. At the same time, I cannot 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 – it feels amazing!”
Tuchel’s Arrival at Chelsea
Tuchel arrives at Chelsea after two and a half years at PSG where he experienced much success. While at the French club, he took PSG to two Ligue 1 titles, one Coupe de France, and a runner-up finish in last season’s Champions League. Thus, his firing from his position there on Dec 29, 2020, came as a surprise to many. He was replaced by Argentinean coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea is the fifth club which Tuchel will have coached in his 14-year coaching career. Prior to this stint, he has also been at the helm of FC Augsburg II, Mainz 05, Dortmund, and PSG.
Many key figures at Chelsea were clearly optimistic about the club’s prospects with Tuchel in charge. Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said, “It is never easy to change (our) head coach in the middle of the season, but we are very happy to secure one of Europe’s best coaches in Thomas Tuchel. There is still much to play for and much to achieve, this season and beyond. We welcome Thomas to the club.”
Tuchel’s Coaching Career
Tuchel’s reputation as a coach first began to grow after leading Mainz to an impressive fifth-place finish in the Bundesliga during the 2010-11 season. To this day, it ranks as Mainz’s best league finish in the club’s history.
Tuchel then took over at Dortmund during the 2015 off-season. He spent three seasons there and led them to a DFB-Pokal victory in 2017. In 2018, he left for PSG.
Upon his arrival at Chelsea, Tuchel will be tasked with ending the team’s alarming slump in form. Chelsea have lost five of their eight most recent Premier League matches. They are currently ranked ninth in the league and are 11 points behind leaders Manchester United. This same slump prompted the club to fire Lampard.
Tuchel has previously coached two of Chelsea’s current players. He worked with midfielder Christian Pulisic at Dortmund. He also coached defender Thiago Silva at PSG. His first match at his new club will be a home league match on Wednesday against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
by Weijun
27th January 2021 12:46
