As Chelsea's players returned to their homes in the early hours of Wednesday morning following their disappointing Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, there was little indication of the huge change that would come later that day involving Thomas Tuchel.
It was at 10.05am that the shock announcement came of Tuchel's sacking after a meeting with two of the club's new owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. It was a huge surprise to Chelsea supporters but also to the club's players, many of whom awoke to the news of the German's departure.
"It was quite surprising really – I woke up to the message," Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah explained in an interview with talkSport on Thursday in the aftermath of Tuchel's dismissal. "It wasn’t expected but things like this happen. For us as players, we’ve got to focus on the present and we need to make sure our performances are stepped up now."
