Thomas Tuchel urges Chelsea to 'stick together' ahead of Lille Champions League clash amid ownership uncertainty

ByJames Walker-Roberts

Updated 15/03/2022 at 12:17 GMT

Chelsea have won their last four games in a row in all competitions but are faced with an uncertain future due to sanctions imposed on their Russian owner Roman Abramovich. The club has been put up for sale and the deadline for bids is on Friday, March 18. Manager Thomas Tuchel says he has been impressed by the "mentality and resilience" of his team ahead of facing Lille in the Champions League.

Thomas Tuchel has urged Chelsea to “stick together” as they continue to navigate uncertainty over the ownership of the club and sanctions imposed by the UK government.

Chelsea are currently operating under a "special licence" after Russian owner Roman Abramovich had his assets frozen following his country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Abramovich is selling the club, which he bought in 2003, and potential buyers have until Friday, March 18 to submit their bids.

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Chelsea technical director Petr Cech says the club are taking their future “day by day” while manager Tuchel has joked he would drive the team to their Champions League midweek against Lille if they could not fly due to sanctions.

"We have to deal with it,” Tuchel said ahead of the second leg of the last-16 clash, which Chelsea lead 2-0.

“There are things to talk about, like how to arrive at games.

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"Things that are normally taken care of, but now we have to stick together, give our opinions, and then we have to find solutions. There are subjects we don't usually discuss but now we will."

There have reportedly been around 200 groups interested in buying Chelsea.

Reflecting on the club’s current situation, Tuchel said: “A new owner needs to arrive, to be approved, and then own the club. Then we can discuss it.

"There is a process how you become an owner in this league, and of course, as I said after the last game, everybody relies on the process and the values which are behind the decisions and allowances to run a club.

"Did I have a choice to take this role [over the last two weeks]? No, but it is day-by-day. Not a lot of people in England are talking at a club. It is something I appreciate that we keep it inside.

"I try to be honest, give you an insight, and give you information from a coach's heart. This is what I try and what you can rely on."

On the pitch Chelsea seem to have put the ownership issues aside as they have won their last four games in a row.

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They beat Newcastle at the weekend thanks to a late strike from Kai Havertz and are in a strong position to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League as they look to defend the title they won last year.

"Against Newcastle, it was a question of mentality, resilience and physicality,” said Tuchel.

"That makes any coach in the world, and me in particular, very happy. I am convinced the team knows what it took to be able to perform like this, to produce results. This is what we are up to tomorrow (Wednesday).

"We allow ourselves to focus on what we can control. The focus is to take the responsibility for the people at the club, there are hundreds of them."

Tuchel says Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta are both available to start but Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi face fitness tests in training.

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