Christian Pulisic says the decision by Thomas Tuchel to leave him out of the Chelsea starting XI for the Blues' famous Champions League win over Real Madrid during the 2020/21 campaign left him feeling "dumbfound and very disappointed."
Following the appointment of Tuchel in 2021, there was an expectation that Pulisic would re-establish himself as a key figure in the Chelsea side as the duo had worked together to good effect during their time at Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund. However, that didn't prove the case.
Pulisic was used as an impact substitute by Tuchel during the early weeks of the German's reign at Stamford Bridge, although the American star had forced himself into the starting XI by the time the Champions League semi-finals came around. The 24-year-old was named in the side for the first leg against Real and scored in the 1-1 draw. Although the strike only came as a result of ignoring an instruction from Tuchel.
