The manager of Chelsea football club, Thomas Tuchel has insisted that Andreas Christensen did not refuse to play in the FA Cup final against Liverpool on Saturday, May 14, contrary to speculations.
Recall that after the FA Cup final which Liverpool won 6-5 on penalties, reports went viral that Andreas Christensen told coach Thomas Tuchel that he would not play the final for no known reason.
The report claimed that the German tactician has made all necessary plans to include the Danish footballer in the squad for the final but Christensen refused to play any part in the game. To prove that he didn’t want to play any part in the game, Christensen who has been a member of Chelsea for 10 years decided to exit the team’s hotel hours before the game.
It is believed that Christensen decided to act that way because he is on the verge of joining FC Barcelona on a free transfer since his contract with Chelsea will expire on June 30, 2022.
Coach Thomas Tuchel’s clarification
Ahead of Chelsea’s 37th Premier League game of the season which is against Leicester City on Thursday, May 19, 2022, reporters asked coach Thomas Tuchel what transpired between him and Andreas Christensen. The German coach said the 26-year-old center-back did not refuse to play in the FA Cup final against Liverpool, he was not able to play.
Tuchel affirmed that Christensen told him about his unwillingness to play the game on the morning of the matchday, adding that the reason the Danish defender gave was not for public consumption.
“Andreas came in the morning of the match to speak to me and tell me he was not ready to play the match, start the match, or be on the bench,” Tuchel said during the Chelsea vs Leicester City press conference on Wednesday, May 18, 2022.
“He had his reasons; they stay private and confidential. But it was not the first time, as you can see over the last weeks that we had some of the same situations where he could not play so regularly.
“We thought that we were in a good progression and development because he played very strong in the match before the final against Leeds, but a conversation took place, we had to respect it, we, of course, respected it…
“I don’t think that he did not want to play, he was not able to. It’s a big difference.”
Will Andreas Christensen play against Leicester City and Watford?
Chelsea still have two Premier League games to play before the 2021-2022 league campaign ends. On Thursday, May 19, 2022, Leicester City will visit Stamford Bridge for Chelsea’s 37th game of the season. The match will kick off at 20:00.
After that, Chelsea will host Watford at Stamford Bridge on the last day of the league campaign, May 22, at 16:00 for the club’s last game of the season.
Since Andreas Christensen is still contracted to Chelsea until June 30, 2022, and he is not currently injured, the Denmark international is expected to be available for the game.
However, coach Tuchel said with the way Andreas Christensen opted out of the FA Cup final against Liverpool on May 14, he doubt if the Danish defender would be available for the remaining two league games of the 2021-2022 season.
“I’m not sure if he’s involved tomorrow or at the weekend. He still has our support, but I’m not sure about tomorrow…
“It’s probably unlikely [he will feature at the weekend]. It was very short notice before the cup final, and not only before this match but with others in the weeks before. There is no chance I have any prediction of what will be tomorrow or the weekend.”
🗣 "Andreas [Christensen] came on the morning of the match to inform me he is not ready. He had his reasons, they stay private."
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 18, 2022
Thomas Tuchel confirms that Andreas Christensen asked not to play for Chelsea in the FA Cup final but would not reveal why pic.twitter.com/0VAIJcVFdZ
