Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of former Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel.
The German arrives at the club following the sacking of Frank Lampard this morning and has signed an 18-month deal with the option of a further year.
He and three of his staff members have been granted permission to enter Chelsea’s Covid-19 bubble after returning negative tests and being granted work permits, as reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
This allowed Tuchel to take Chelsea’s training session today and he met with the squad prior.
Chelsea Appoint Thomas Tuchel
Welcome to Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel! ✍️🔵 #WelcomeTuchel
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 26, 2021
Lampard’s Successor
Tuchel arrives at the club with Chelsea currently sitting ninth in the Premier League table. They are, though, through to the fifth round of the FA Cup and finished top of their group in the first stage of this season’s Champions League.
This is the German’s first stint in English football and his second outside of his home country have previously been in charge of Augsburg’s reserves, Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and PSG.
He left the French champions with the best win percentage in the history of Ligue 1 (75.6%) when he was sacked right at the end of 2020, largely owing to a poor working relationship with the hierarchy at the club.
Issues over transfers also led to his departures from both Dortmund and Mainz – the former over the sales of key players and the latter over the funding available.
Despite these issues, Tuchel has proven himself to be a successful manager. He established Mainz in the Bundesliga following their promotion, won the German cup with Dortmund as well as fighting closely with Bayern Munich for the title, and secured back-t0-back titles, two cups and reached the Champions League final with PSG.
Is Thomas Tuchel What Chelsea Need?
Reports have suggested that Chelsea were keen to bring in a German-speaking manager if they were to replace Lampard.
Summer signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have failed to fully settle in at the club, despite impressive starts, and it’s thought that a German-speaking boss could help them out.
It’s likely why both Julian Naglesmann and Raf Rangnick were closely considered for the job. Rangnick was reportedly offered it on a short-term basis but turned it down, while Naglesmann’s current club, RB Leipzig, would not let him leave mid-season.
Tuchel ‘Grateful’ for Chelsea Chance
Speaking about his appointment, 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 am grateful to now be part of the Chelsea family – it feels amazing!”
Director Marina Granovskaia added: “It is never easy to change 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.”
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