On This Day: 2021- Thomas Tuchel was appointed as Chelsea head coach

Remembering January 25, 2021…

It was on this date three years ago that Chelsea changed their manager once again. Frank Lampard left the club and Thomas Tuchel took over as the new Chelsea boss.

Tuchel made a strong impression in his first press conference. He promised to create a team that no one would want to face.

Tuchel’s debut game was a goalless draw against Wolves at home. He soon got his first win as Chelsea manager, beating Burnley 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League, with impressive wins over Liverpool and Manchester City away from home. Tuchel also guided Chelsea to the finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League in his first four months. Chelsea lost the FA Cup in a disputed manner.

Tuchel became a Chelsea legend on May 29, 2021, when the club lifted the Champions League trophy for the second time after defeating Manchester City 1-0 in Porto. The glory continued as Chelsea won the UEFA Super Cup for the first time under Roman Abramovich, beating Europa League champions Villarreal on penalties.

Tuchel’s last trophy as Chelsea manager was the 2021 (played in 2022) FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi. Roman Abramovich and Chelsea achieved the ultimate feat. A few weeks later, Chelsea fell to Liverpool on penalties in the Carabao Cup final.

A month after the Club World Cup final, Roman Abramovich announced he was selling Chelsea due to Government sanctions. Tuchel showed his class and loyalty to the club by saying to the media before Chelsea’s trip to Lille in the Champions League, “We can go by plane. If not, we go by train. If not, we go by bus. If not, I drive a seven-seater.”

Chelsea’s Champions League campaign ended in agony, losing to Real Madrid in extra-time after leading 3-0 (4-3) at the Bernabeu. The misery continued as Chelsea lost to Liverpool on penalties again, this time in the FA Cup final.

As the Todd Boehly/Clearlake takeover was completed, Thomas Tuchel was fired on September 7, 2022 following Chelsea’s 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb.

Graham Potter was appointed soon after.

Tuchel on his ‘lucky shoe’- ‘I wanted to leave it in Porto actually, but two players took it out of the bin in the locker room and said I have to wear it again when we reach another Champions League final. I said I would think about it,so now it is in my garage.’ [chelseafc] #CFC pic.twitter.com/DrYPYHkAsH

— CFCDaily (@CFCDaily) December 3, 2021