Almost three months have passed since Thomas Tuchel’s job description changed. Previously he was the head coach. His role was to look after Chelsea’s first team, win some trophies and steer clear of controversy. Overall, despite the odd stumble here, the odd unauthorised interview from Romelu Lukaku there, life was good. Chelsea were an undisputed member of the elite and, after escaping the infighting and egos at Paris Saint-Germain, Tuchel appreciated being left to do what he loves most: coach his team and concentrate on the football.
But then, as Chelsea prepared to face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final at the end of February, the mood shifted. The Russian invasion of Ukraine was under way which put Roman Abramovich in an awkward position. Suddenly, Tuchel was fielding questions about Abramovich’s future at Chelsea. Incredibly, he was prepared to answer them. “You’re right,” Tuchel said, responding to a question about Abramovich being accused in parliament of having links to the Russian state. “We should not pretend this is not an issue.”
