Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly was spotted at England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, and his allegiance that day was clear.
Boehly was pictured donning an England shirt, but unfortunately for him and the Three Lions’ other supporters, Thomas Tuchel’s side could not hold on to their 1-0 lead.
Ironically, it was Boehly’s £100m investment, Enzo Fernandez, who equalised for Argentina with one of the goals of the tournament before Lautaro Martinez scored La Albiceleste’s winner.
Fernandez is eager to leave Chelsea this summer, but after watching his performance against England, Boehly will surely be desperate to keep hold of him.
Fernandez being a world-class midfielder is not the only conclusion that the Chelsea co-owner would have drawn from the match, however.
Todd Boehly won’t regret Thomas Tuchel sacking after watching England’s negative football
When Chelsea sacked Tuchel at the beginning of the 2022/23 season, understandably, Boehly and Clearlake Capital received a lot of criticism.
A year prior to his dismissal, Tuchel had led Chelsea to Champions League glory. Supporters did not want to see the German go.
Chelsea fans, you know Thomas Tuchel very well. What did you make of his tactics in England’s loss to Argentina? 🤔
Even now, you can still argue that sacking Tuchel was a mistake. The 52-year-old is a world-class manager, and a loss against the current world champions does not change that.
However, Boehly and Clearlake want a Chelsea side who can both win and play an attractive brand of football.
After appointing Enzo Maresca in 2024, co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley told Chelsea’s official club website: “We are delighted to welcome Enzo to Chelsea. He has proven himself to be an excellent coach capable of delivering impressive results with an exciting and identifiable style.”
Tuchel is not the kind of manager who is going to produce that kind of football, or at least on a consistent basis. His teams tend to sit back when in the lead and play on the counter.
England’s defeat to Argentina was a perfect example, and on this occasion, the former Chelsea boss’ game plan backfired spectacularly.
Following that loss, Tuchel’s stock has taken a hit. And given the kind of football that Chelsea’s current regime is trying to install, Boehly will feel that the club’s decision to remove Tuchel as head coach was justified.
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