Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel reflects on shock of Chelsea sacking - 'It still hurts'
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Published 31/03/2023 at 20:36 GMT
Thomas Tuchel says his Chelsea sacking 'still hurts' as the German manager prepares to lead new club Bayern Munich for the first time this weekend against Borussia Dortmund. Tuchel was dismissed in September and replaced by Graham Potter, despite leading the London club to Champions League glory in 2021. Tuchel replaced Julian Nagelsmann as Bayern coach last week and will debut on Saturday.
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Thomas Tuchel said his sacking by Chelsea ‘still hurts’ as the new Bayern Munich boss reflected on a shock dismissal from the Premier League club earlier this season.
The German was dismissed in the wake of a Champions League group stage defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in September.
He won the Champions League with the Blues in his debut season in 2020/21 and also won the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup while in London.
But he was dismissed and replaced by Graham Potter on the 100th day of Todd Boehly’s ownership.
"It was a shock," Tuchel said. "I felt it, strangely, when I drove to the training centre.
"The meeting we had felt unusual - it turned out to be very short. It lasted three to five minutes.
"The decision had been made and, honestly, it was a shock for all of us. I was also not in the mood to talk longer.
"We had a feeling that we were in the right spot at the right time. We felt that we could achieve big things and we wanted to stay longer - it was as simple as that."
Chelsea were in sixth place in the Premier League standings when Tuchel was fired, but have since dropped to 10th.
The ex-PSG manager landed the Bayern Munich job last week following the dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann and will make his debut against another of his former clubs, Borussia Dortmund, this weekend.
But he still feels regretful about the way things ended in west London.
"It still hurts in a way. I'm not able to see these people on a daily basis. I love this job. I have a passion for it,” said Tuchel.
"We built an extraordinary bond in the circumstances. We started there during Covid, during Brexit - then came the change of ownership.
"We were a strong, strong group and it wasn't in my hands to take this decision. I was no longer part of this group, a group that felt like a family."
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