Journalist Nizaar Kinsella has claimed in a Q&A with the Evening Standard that Chelsea’s players were not surprised that Thomas Tuchel was sacked yesterday.
Todd Boehly made the ruthless decision to remove the German after his 100th game in charge of the club ended in defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.
It has since been claimed that the firing was not based on results on the pitch, rather a breakdown of the relationship and difference of opinion between the manager and the owner.
The news came as a shock to supporters, who would have been confident enough that the German’s Champions League victory just over a year ago was more than enough evidence that he can be the man to bring good times back to Stamford Bridge.
However, Kinsella has said that the players were not as surprised as those outside the squad, knowing some of the squad were unhappy with the manager.
Chelsea players not surprised Tuchel sacked
He said: “Chelsea’s players had a lot of respect for Tuchel, as you could see from almost the entire squad posting a tribute to the departed manager. Many of those who didn’t will have messaged him privately.
“While they are grateful to Tuchel, most are also not as surprised as many supporters over his dismissal.
“They’ve seen members of the squad act out or feel mistreated, and players also talk. They know that many were not happy under the manager and we could all see which players underperformed.”
It had been reported that Tuchel’s relationship with the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner had become strained, with the latter being granted a permanent move away from the club back to RB Leipzig.
If the trend was set to continue with fringe players in the squad, the owner may be warranted in his decision to let the German go, with team chemistry an essential in moving forwards.
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