Former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas took to social media to praise Thomas Tuchel after the Blues were knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday evening. Real Madrid beat the west London club 5-4 on aggregate in their quarter-final showdown to set up a last four meeting with either Manchester City or Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea travelled to the Bernabeu having lost the first leg 3-1, and stunned the hosts by storming into a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Mason Mount, Antonio Rudiger and Timo Werner. Tuchel’s side appeared to be heading through after an extraordinary comeback in the Spanish capital, but Rodrygo scored to send the game into extra time.
And Karim Benzema netted again for Los Blancos to seal their place in the last four of the competition. The fighting spirit showcased by the Blues won them many plaudits including Fabregas who hailed Tuchel for almost masterminding one of the great European comebacks.
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He tweeted: "Whatever happens. @ChelseaFC are blessed with Thomas Tuchel. What a manager."
Tuchel, who took over from club legend Frank Lampard in January of last year, has proved to be an inspired appointment. The German won the Champions League with the Blues last season, and followed up that success this term with UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup triumphs.
The 48-year-old has also guided Chelsea to an FA Cup semi-final meeting with Crystal Palace on Sunday. However, Tuchel’s incredible level of success in such a short period of time has seen him linked with a number of clubs amid the uncertainty that surrounds the west London outfit.
Chelsea are currently unable to sign new players or offer contracts to their stars as part of the sanctions imposed on them by the UK government. These restrictions will be lifted when the club are brought from Roman Abramovich; but it remains to be seen if the prospective new owners will be prepared to invest as much money as Blues fans and managers have become accustomed to.
