The pre-match mind games have taken a respectful turn before England face Croatia, as Luka Modric offered a glowing assessment of the man Chelsea ruthlessly dismissed from Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel was appointed at Chelsea in 2021, with the German transforming a stuttering side into the kings of Europe within just five months, defeating Man City to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy. He quickly followed that crowning achievement by securing the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
However, his relationship with the incoming BlueCo ownership group broke down quickly, resulting in his sacking in September 2022.
This dismissal kicked off an era of instability at Stamford Bridge. Since taking control, the hierarchy has overseen a staggering five permanent managerial departures in under five seasons, including Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca, and most recently Liam Rosenior after just 107 days.
What did you think of Nicolas Jackson’s performance against France?🤔
He hit the post and scored an offside goal!
Luka Modric praises Thomas Tuchel ahead of England clash
Luka Modric has been talking up England and Thomas Tuchel ahead of the clash with Croatia when talking to ITV Sport.
“England’s strengths? There is a lot of things that are strong. They have a great coach after all, and then after they have great players from the best teams in the world.”
The midfielder has faced Thomas Tuchel eight times in the Champions League, recording two wins, two losses, and four draws.
Tuchel outmaneuvered Modric’s Real Madrid with Chelsea in 2021, but he got revenge in 2022, producing a trivela assist, and again in 2024 to eliminate Tuchel’s Bayern Munich.
Who do you want to see Chelsea sign for each of these positions? 👀
These are the FOUR areas the club have identified for this summer…
- Goalkeeper
- Central defender
- Central midfielder
- Left winger
Thomas Tuchel has raised eyebrows at Chelsea
Thomas Tuchel’s selections for England have made a few people question his decision-making at Stamford Bridge due to a noticeable lack of Chelsea players in his plans.
Despite having a squad overflowing with talent, the former Blues boss has consistently overlooked most of the squad, prioritising players from other clubs who better fit his system, as Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer were left out of the World Cup squad.
However, Tuchel broke this trend by handing a dramatic World Cup call-up to Trevoh Chalobah.
Drafted in as a late injury replacement for Tino Livramento on the eve of the tournament, Chalobah’s inclusion is as cover at centre-back.
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