It's all smiles when it comes to Thomas Tuchel right now. The German has changed the face of Chelsea and has not known defeat since taking over from Frank Lampard. The last sample of the good progress of the team was the 0-1 with which they beat Atleti in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. Nevertheless, in the same competition, but two years ago, his mood was very different. And it is that on February 12, 2019, a penalty in the discount at the Parc des Princes converted by Lukaku would leave PSG composed and without quarter-finals.
In the first leg, the Parisians had won 2-0 at Old Trafford, so the elimination came as a tremendous surprise and a 1-3-shaped jug of frozen water from which Tuchel could not protect himself. This Sunday (5:30 pm, DAZN) he will meet again with Solskjaer's United and on the occasion of the reunion he recalled how he felt after the debacle suffered. “If I'm completely honest, after the game I was in a very dark place for two days. I was not able to talk to anyone or think about anything other than that defeat, “he acknowledges.
The worst defeat of his coaching career
The main problem was not the elimination, but the way in which it was produced. “It may be the worst defeat I have ever experienced, because it came from nowhere. It was the circumstances that surrounded her. I have never experienced anything like it before or after that moment. How we got there, the pressure around the club, the past history and the result of the first match. Y the way everything happened in the second game, with the VAR deciding at the last minute“adds Tuchel.
“As it was by surprise it was difficult to assimilate the blow, but like I said, it was only two days in a dark place. Then I gave the players two days off and I think it was the best for everyone. After that, I can say that in sports you have to get up and accept defeats is sometimes necessary to grow … “, reflects the Krumbach man. A Tuchel who overcame the blow and was about to receive the full reward, but a Coman's header stole the ultimate prize.
Learn from adversity
“That may hurt, but the reward came a year later, it was almost perfect. We reached the final (of the Champions League) and we went through a long way to get there. We do it by fighting adversity and that's what makes you stronger, as they say, “he concluded. It is clear that the Chelsea coach has engraved that tie in the mint, although he is no longer in that dark place that became home for two days. . This has made the meetings between Tuchel and United something special and it is sure that maintaining the streak of matches without losing alive is an extra motivation to prevail against the Red Devils.
The sudoku to solve with Havertz
Kai Havertz is the highest paid player on the Chelsea squad, with a salary of around 18.8M euros. An astronomical salary if we take into account the questionable performance of the footballer, completely overshadowed by footballers like Mason Mount or Edouard Mendy. “Since I arrived, the only thing that prevented him from making a big impact is his injury, nothing more. I see a committed guy, I see a guy who made the brave decision to move abroad at a young age and step out of his comfort zone and accept a big challenge in a great team, in the biggest league. ”Havertz was on the bench during the victory for 1-0 on Tuesday against Atlético de Madrid in the Champions League. Now Tuchel has to solve Chelsea's sudoku game with his compatriot, which was used in different positions with Frank Lampard, including as number 10, but also in midfield and by the band at times.
“We will find this paper and now we have to give it the necessary time. But he is ready, we are very happy that he is back in the squad and there is no doubt that he will lift our offensive potential. He is a unique player. It is not so clear where it needs to settle. Today, I would say that it is between the position of nine and a 10, something in between. He's very comfortable in the area, he's very comfortable in high positions, “says the Chelsea manager. So far, he has played 27 games, scored five goals and delivered six assists. Tuchel's mission on the bench blue is to recover the soldier Havertz …