Chelsea prepare to take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday in what could be their fourth trophy win under Thomas Tuchel.
Since taking over in January 2021, Tuchel has guided Chelsea to UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup victories in what has been a remarkable year for the German.
There was also an FA Cup runners-up medal last season, and should the Blues have won that final, they would have also had the chance to lift the FA Community Shield in August.
Nonetheless, Tuchel has added three trophies to the Stamford Bridge cabinet and he will be hoping that he can make it four with victory over Liverpool at Wembley Stadium this weekend.
And due to Chelsea’s achievements with the impressive squad they have, former player Florent Malouda believes that the current Blues side is better than the one he played in which created Champions League history in Munich in 2012.
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Speaking to Genting Casino , Malouda said: “I always say, even though our time was great, I think this team are much better than we were.
“I think the overall level of football has increased and the competition is much higher – the speed, the physical intensity – when you look at what Chelsea has achieved since 2012 in terms of trophies, thinking about the Europa League, the Champions League, the Super Cup, the Club World Cup, for the first time in the club’s history, what’s there is phenomenal.
“Records are there to be beaten. I admire this team, they are young. When we won the Champions League we were at the end of our playing cycle, they are just starting, so that’s why for me, they are much better than we were.”
Malouda came off the bench to feature as a 73rd minute substitute when the Blues defeated Bayern Munich to seal their first ever Champions League trophy, in a team that included the likes of Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.
However, the former French international believes that the current Chelsea side is still better than the one he played in, particularly due to who is managing them.
Malouda feels that Tuchel has the ‘magic touch’ when it comes to winning trophies and has the ability to get the best out of his players in the big games.
He said: “The magic touch comes from hard work and preparation. You can see in the finals the players know exactly what they have to do.
“They have no doubt. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, they are ready to answer every tactical problem. Individually, the players step up. For example, in the Champions League final, N’Golo Kante was playing like he was three players.
“Antonio Rudiger, he was incredible. Edouard Mendy, he may not have the experience in the Champions League, but he played an unbelievable game.
“Thomas Tuchel deserves huge credit. I think mentally and psychologically he’s done very, very important work to develop the players for high intensity and high-pressure matches.”
