The Croatian Air was thick with the smell of scapegoat on Tuesday night.
On Wednesday morning Thomas Tuchel was thrown to the wolves. Surrender to Dinamo Zagreb would be the last chapter in his Chelsea career. It does seem harsh - and unnecessarily impatient. Tuchel had been an outstanding ambassador - dealing with war, morality, humanity and politics - last season, as the frontman for a club lurching from crisis to crisis.
So when Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali assumed control of Chelsea from Roman Abramovich, it looked as though Tuchel would be freed up to do what he does best: Coach players.
