Thomas Tuchel has admitted his Chelsea sacking “still hurts”, as he revealed details of the short conversation telling him he had lost his job.
The German was relieved of his duties in early September, just six games into the Premier League season and only a few days after the end of a summer transfer window in which the Blues spent more than £250million.
While Tuchel was largely still a popular figure with the Chelsea supporters, having won the Champions League in 2021, but his relationship with the club’s ownership had become increasingly strained.
He has now returned to management, taking over at Bayern Munich after the departure of Julian Nagelsmann and he will face a swift reunion with his former club should the Bundesliga side and Chelsea both make it to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Speaking at a press conference, Tuchel explained how his Chelsea exit was confirmed in incredibly brief fashion.
“It was a shock,” Tuchel said. “I felt it, strangely, when I drove to the training centre.
“The meeting we had felt unusual – and it turned out to be a very short meeting. It was 8am, or something, and it lasted three to five minutes. I was also not in the mood to talk longer.
“The decision had been made and, honestly, it was a shock for all of us. We had a feeling that we were in the right spot at the right time. We felt that we could achieve big things and we wanted to stay longer – it was as simple as that.”
Mason Mount and Kai Havertz are among the Chelsea players to have recently been linked with a move to Bayern to work under their former manager, while Anthony Barry wants to leave the Blues and join Tuchel’s coaching staff.
It would be no surprise should the German look to bring some familiar faces to Munich, as he described the “family” feel to the group at Chelsea.
“How long did it take me to get over? It still hurts in a way – I’m not able to see these people on a daily basis,” Tuchel said. “I love this job. I have a passion for it, I can tell you.
“We built an extraordinary bond in the circumstances. We started there during Covid, during Brexit, and then came the change of ownership.
“We were a strong, strong group. It wasn’t in my hands to take this decision. I was no longer part of this group, a group that felt like a family.”
