Coach Thomas Tuchel of Chelsea has noted that he is yet to get used to the fact that Roman Abramovich has decided to sell the Chelsea football club.
The German tactician admitted that the decision could bring about a massive change at the Premier League club.
Recall that Roman Abramovich who is said to have very close ties with the president of Russia Vladimir Putin has been under fire since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Due to the pressure the Russian billionaire was subjected to, he had to declare Chelsea for sale. He is reportedly trying to sell the other properties he has in the UK.
The price tag on Chelsea is three billion pounds. Since Abramovich confirmed his willingness to sell the club, a series of billionaires across Europe and America have shown interest in buying the reigning European and world champions.
Though some of the billionaires are being turned off by the price tag, a couple of them are reportedly setting up a consortium to match up with Abramovich’s asking price.
Before now, Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe attempted to buy Chelsea in 2019 but the Russian billionaire turned them down.
Wyss and Ratcliffe are still part of the race for the ownership of Chelsea alongside American investor Todd Boehly and Irish fighter Conor McGregor.
Before things went sour for Abramovich who bought Chelsea in 2003, the Russian billionaire has invested over one billion pounds in the club. His investment has helped the club to win 19 major trophies.
After Chelsea defeated Luton 3-2 in an FA Cup 5th round match on Wednesday, coach Thomas Tuchel admitted that Abramovich’s decision to sell Chelsea is big news.
The German coach who won three of the 19 titles in Abramovich’s era, said it was hard for him to think about Chelsea without the Russian billionaire.
Coach Thomas Tuchel said: “It’s a bit too early because it’s big news.
“It’s a bit too early to speak because I can only think about Chelsea with Roman Abramovich, so it’s very hard for me. It hasn’t sunk in yet that this is going to stop. It’s a massive change, of course.
“I don’t think I need to talk about it. I’m very sure the club will speak to us and the players. I’m not so much worried because I still feel privileged and in a good place and I still hope and trust for the best. I’m not so much the person who worries about things I cannot influence.
“It’s big news, it will be a big change, but I’m also never afraid of change and will focus on what I can influence – this staff and team at Cobham.”
"I can only think about Chelsea with Roman Abramovich. It's very hard for me"
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 3, 2022
"It has not sunk in yet"
Thomas Tuchel says he is sure Roman Abramovich will talk to him and the players about his sale of Chelsea 👇 pic.twitter.com/wOcwmSvWpf
Coach Thomas Tuchel reveals that he and his players did not talk about Roman Abramovich’s exit
On Wednesday night, Coach Thomas Tuchel led Chelsea to Luton Town to play their FA Cup 5th round match amid the news that the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich was about to sell the club.
Despite the “big news”, Chelsea’s players were professional enough to execute the FA Cup game with little or no sign that they were being pressured by Abramovich’s pending exit from the club.
Goals from Saul, Timo Werner, and Romelu Lukaku sealed a 3-2 away win for Chelsea that qualified the club to the next round of the game.
After the game, coach Thomas Tuchel said: “We want them to play with full focus and to take this seriously because this is where you can grow self-confidence and get your confidence back. Timo did very well and Romelu got his goal, so it’s only positive.
“We did not talk about it [Abramovich’s statement] – we accepted it. The players have internet connections, they watch TV so of course, they knew, they get messages. But still, we focused in the preparation only on sports.
“Maybe some players are more affected, some less, but in the end, we managed to focus, grow into this game and find the key to winning it.”
Chelsea’s next game is a Premier League match against Everton which is scheduled to kick off at 16:00 on Saturday, March 5, 2022.
