Thomas Tuchel gives awkward response when quizzed on Frank Lampard's Chelsea return

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel refused to be drawn on his former club Chelsea reappointing Frank Lampard as caretaker manager.

Tuchel spent 20 months in charge of Chelsea, having been appointed as Lampard's replacement in 2021. He went on to guide the Blues to victory in that year's Champions League, masterminding a 1-0 win over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the final.

However, Tuchel was then sacked by new owner Todd Boehly earlier this season after a disappointing start to the campaign. Chelsea then poached Graham Potter from Brighton as Tuchel's replacement, but he lasted less than seven months before getting sacked himself.

Potter departed earlier this month with Chelsea languishing in 11th place in the Premier League and the club decided to reappoint Lampard until the end of the season. Tuchel, meanwhile, took over at Bayern in March following the departure of Julian Nagelsmann.

Tuchel is currently preparing his Bayern side for a blockbuster Champions League quarter-final clash against Manchester City and when asked about Chelsea's decision to appoint Lampard as caretaker manager, he replied: "No. No more Chelsea. I am wearing a different shirt and I will not comment."

Despite getting the better of Guardiola in the 2021 Champions League final, that game was just the third time Tuchel has come out on top in their ten meetings. "I don't think I can learn much from other games I've played against Pep," he said.

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel was quizzed about Frank Lampard's return to Chelsea as caretaker manager (S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty Images)

"It's unique what Pep does. We'll try to find solutions but we'll need a complete performance to create problems for City. We did not mention this [2021] final and we will not do it. That would feel very awkward for me.

"We focus now on our team. It is a major task in front of us. I was just outside [the Etihad Stadium] and that is the current gold standard for us.

"We want to live up to that but team is entitled to be confident after our results and performances in the Champions League so far and we have to try to continue like that. Maybe we play in a role of slight underdog, which is not a problem."