Thomas Tuchel has issued an emotional statement on his exit from Chelsea - insisting he is "devastated" to be leaving the Stamford Bridge side.
The German was brought in in January 2021 to replace Frank Lampard and found instant success, leading the Blues to Champions League glory within six months of taking the job. He followed that up with a Club World Cup win and a strong third-placed finish in the Premier League last season to qualify for the flagship competition again.
But Chelsea, who are now on their tenth permanent manager since Carlo Ancelotti left in 2011, famously don't wait around if results aren't going their way. And after their defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night, they pulled the trigger once more with Tuchel shown the door to be immediately replaced by Brighton's Graham Potter. And he has now taken to Twitter to put out an emotional statement, saying he had hoped to be manager in West London for years to come.
The former Borussia Dortmund and PSG boss said: "This is one of the most difficult statements I have ever had to write - and it is one which I hoped I would not need to do for many years. I am devastated that my time at Chelsea has come to an end.
"This is a club where I felt at home, both professionally and personally. Thank you so much to all the staff, the players and the supporters for making me feel very welcome from the start.
"The pride and joy I felt at helping the team to win the Champions League and the Club World Cup will stay with me forever. I am honoured to have been a part of this club’s history and the memories of the last 19 months will always have a special place in my heart."
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