Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel responded playfully when asked about the logistical problems his team may face ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Lille.
How will Chelsea travel for an away Champions League game? — a couple of weeks ago this would be a silly question.
Unfortunately for the Blues, this is an actually relevant question given their current situation.
The Blues can now only spend a maximum of £20,000 on travel expenses based on the current licence given by the UK government.
According to Hugo Scheckter, who was involved in player care at West Ham and Southampton, a conservative estimate of the average cost is around £30,000 per domestic away game.
It would usually cost a lot more to travel abroad.
Based on Tuchel’s answer, it seems that Chelsea managed to sort their travel to Lille before the UK government announced the sanctions.
However, even if they had not, Tuchel would still make sure that they could compete.
“My last information is that we have a plane,” the German said in his post-match press conference after Sunday’s win over Newcastle United (via HaytersTV).
“We can go by plane and come back by plane.
“If not, we go by train, if not, we go by bus, if not, I’ll drive a seven-seater, honestly!
“And I will do!
“You can mark my words… I will do. I will arrive there.
“If you ask me 20, 30 years ago if I would join a Champions League match on the sidelines and what I was willing to do, I would say, ‘OK, when do I have to be where?’
“Why should this change? I will be there, and we will be there.”
Thankfully, he will not have to do it and hopefully never will.
According to a recent report from The Telegraph, the government is likely going to increase the maximum travel expense for the Champions League away games to above £20,000 if Chelsea manage to qualify to the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Given their two-goal lead from the first leg, Tuchel’s men are expected to go to the next round.
Although to be fair, Tuchel’s driving his players to a Champions League game in a seven-seater would be an unbelievable sight.
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