Thomas Tuchel revealed when he discovered Roman Abramovich was stepping away from his role at Chelsea.
Speaking to the BBC, Tuchel said he found out just before his side’s FA Cup fixture against Luton Town last night.
Farewell Roman
Abramovich announced his decision to sell Chelsea through the club’s various social media channels yesterday, probably as the team were about to go through their pre-match warm-ups.
In his statement, the Russian said it was in the ‘best interest’ of the organisation to find a new owner, a conclusion that had been ‘incredibly difficult to make’.
He also confirmed that any of the loans owed to him will not need to be paid back and that any net proceeds shall be donated to the victims of the war in Ukraine.
His reign had been on the rocks really since Saturday, where he offered Chelsea’s ownership to the board of trustees.
Since then, sanctions from the government have loomed large of the 55-year-old’s head, due to any connections he might still have with Vladimir Putin.
The list of potential buyers is seemingly growing by the day, although a few candidates are leading the chase.
Wealthy duo Hansjorg Wyss and Todd Boehly are apparently keen to join forces and cover the cost needed to acquire Chelsea.
Conor McGregor has rather surprisingly stepped forward, but whether this is a PR stunt is yet to be seen.
Stamford Bridge season ticket holder and businessman Loutfy Mansour reportedly fancies his chances of bidding for the Blues.
Tuchel tells it straight
With so much noise off the pitch, it would be easy for those performing on it to be distracted.
Chelsea might use this as an excuse for their first-half performance against Luton, as they headed into the break 2-1 down.
After all, Tuchel’s squad only heard the news about Abramovich far too near the game than appreciated.
“Maybe I heard it a little bit earlier than you, but still it was very close to the kick-off,” said the German manager.
“We heard the rumours throughout the day and it was on the TV, and of course when we have team meetings and we eat together, the guys talk about it, everybody talks about it.
“It is big news. Let’s wait and see and let’s hope for the best.”
Whilst Tuchel has continuously tried to remove himself from the situation, he will be directly affected by the new owner.
After all, it is they who will give the green light for transfers, or the red light on his tenure in the dugout.
For now, though, everything at Chelsea remains on amber.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
