We know you are taking things day-by-day, Thomas, but can you confirm your position until at least the end of the season?
"There's no doubt I'll stay until the end of the season. Absolutely. We just have to wait and we still have to go day-by-day because everything can change.
"As you know the situation is clear, the club's for sale, and hopefully, it will go through to sort things out and give us a perspective. But it's pure speculation and I have no further information than you already have.
"That's what I meant with day-by-day, which is anyway a good way to live your life, and now we are forced to do it because there are some circumstances we cannot influence, and at some point it's not so nice because we have no strings to pull and no actions to do to help.
"On the other side it gives you the freedom to focus on what we can influence, and this is our performances and to show the spirit.
"Of course, the focus is on the first team, our players and me and the first team of Chelsea. But Chelsea is much more than the first team of the Premier League. It's a massive club, massive club with huge tradition and there are hundreds of people who I'm pretty sure worry more than our players and staff, me included.
"For them, it's important that we show the spirit and give them a bit of a distraction, some hope and show what we are about, and we are about football because we love the game."
What's changed in the past week about your preparations for games?
"I think practically changed more for the guys who for example organised the journey to Lille because they had to figure out how we arrive there.
"In the end, I get the information so for me personally when I come to the building, actually nothing has changed so far. We do our meetings, we prepare training, we talk to doctors, fitness department, talk to the players and do the best training possible.
"And we demand it, from everybody, because this is what makes Chelsea special, and Chelsea a top club. It's a commitment, quality of support and a commitment from everybody in the whole building.
In the end, that's the foundation, or maybe the top of a strong, strong club. This is what we try to maintain. So it has not changed so much. At the moment it's the same."
Has the travel for Lille changed?
"My last information is we are getting a plane. So we can go by plane and come back by plane. If not, we'll go by train. If not, we'll go by bus. If not, I'll drive a seven-seater. Honestly, I will do it. You can mark my words, I will do to arrive there.
"If you asked me 20 years ago, 30 years ago, if I would join a Champions League match at the sideline and what I was willing to do, I'd say, 'ok, where do I have to be and when?' Why should this change?
"I will be there and we will be there. Of course, organisation wise, there are some negotiations going on and talks, but it doesn't influence me. That's what I mean, we have brilliant guys who organise the travel and we have, in every department, such committed people that at the moment things feel pretty normal."
How are you driving a seven-seater on the left?
"That is a very good question! And then we would have to change to the right [in France]. At some point, we need to have trust in the coach."
There were 81 executions in Saudia Arabia yesterday and the country is engaged in a war in Yemen, do you find it strange at all that Chelsea are in the situation they're in and Newcastle are in a different situation?
"Wow, that is a big one. Unfortunately, the situation is like this also for the owners of Newcastle and that effects, yes. What can I say? I don't want to point the finger because comparing yourself or blaming others does not make the situation for us a different situation.
"The statement, that we condemn war and the actions from Russia towards Ukraine, there is no doubt. But we're facing the consequences actually at the moment and this is where the focus is. I hope you can understand."
You're a football manager and that's what your focus wants to be on. But given your position, from a personal perspective, how difficult a scenario is it for you to tread?
"At some point, we need also to just the process. For example, we need to trust the process of the league as to who owns a club. We are famous employees because we speak into a camera and on TV, but in general, we are only employees and need to trust the process.
"Maybe as you need to trust the process that you work for a company that is not doing the morally and ethically wrong things. At some point, we need to trust.
"Maybe we need to ask questions about the process of how this goes. Maybe it's an ongoing process and it will never end. It just reminds us to be aware and conscious about it, and not look away."
Did the atmosphere around the club impact the performance today, and what did you make of Kai Havertz's goal?
"Not more than in the last game. I had the feeling that it is our responsibility because we can't influence the situation. We are not responsible for the situation so, at some point, it's our responsibility because we are in the spotlight and have these games, to focus on what we do well.
"It's a responsibility to our talent but also to every employee of Chelsea. There are a lot of people that I see on a daily basis who are worried and who work for decades. They are not so famous but they are worried for a pretty close future, wonder if things will be alright.
"So for them, it's important to have the attitude right and also to focus on that and see the responsibility and what this means to these people. Even if it's just for 90 minutes.
"When we played football during corona [the pandemic] we knew we couldn't cure the virus. But we tried to give some hope so people could feel joy, excitement, maybe even anger and entertainment. This is what we try to do now. The matter is very serious.
"The Kai Havertz goal was exceptional. We were, of course, a bit lucky today. We maybe had a hard time on the pitch because Newcastle was physical, well deserved, gave us difficulty to create chances and accelerate the game in the last 30 metres.
"It was so important not to concede. To have the quality with one chance, one quality pass and one quality finish to win it. Thank goodness we did it. We never got frustrated about it. They defended very, very well. You could see in the last four minutes what a goal does to the team.
"We were so good in the last four minutes. It was so easy to find the gaps, the switch of play, everything was so easy and so much more fluid. This is what happens. I think the distraction level was not the biggest part today."
Did the decision to end the game with Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic show big balls?
"The manager had to have some balls to make these decisions!
"As you are aware, we started with a 4-1-4-1. Azpi (Cesar Azpilicueta) was out, Reece James was out and Callum (Hudson-Odoi) played there [at wing-back] and was out. Pulisic came from some days off feeling sick so we struggled to find a right wing-back. Marcos struggled through his corona times and we were not sure if he could make it so we started in a 4-1-4-1.
"In the second half, it was a back five. Malang (Sarr) is good in defending but we took the risk on the left side to be more offensive. We defended against their strikers in more of a three against three. Jorginho was the man in front of the back three to control counter attacks and long balls. Hakim did it against Tottenham who had a back five and it was a bit of the same situation as against Tottenham in one of the four games we played recently.
"It is not their best position but it is a bit easier for a player like Christian to do it when they come into the match. We took the risk to increase the offensive threat with some runs. In the end, we have a run with Kai and Christian Pulisic to arrive in the box. In the end, I am happy because Malang was important for defending set-pieces and it was a bit of a gamble.
"The game was a draw and I thought, okay, we are risking the point now but if we lose we only lose a point. But we could win two more points so we took it. I am happy because the impact from the bench was very strong with Kova strong, Christian was strong and Romelu gave us more presence."
