Chelsea have announced the signing of former PSG coach Thomas Tuchel as the new manager taking over from Frank Lampard who was shown the door on Monday afternoon. Chelsea announced the acquisition of the German coach on Twitter on Tuesday night, marking the beginning of a new era amidst troubled performances and reports of dress room polarisation.
Speaking to the press after the announcement, the German said, ‘I would like to thank Chelsea FC for their confidence in me and my staff. We all have the greatest respect for Lampard’s work and the legacy he created at Chelsea. At the same time, I can’t wait to meet my new team and compete in the most exciting league in football.”
“I am grateful to now be part of the Chelsea family – it feels amazing!”
Roman talks
Lampard left Stamford a second time but as a coach leaving fans divided and raising speculations over what may have transpired. Later on, the Russian tycoon, who owns the club, Roman Abramovich issued a statement on Lampard’s departure.
He said, “This was a very difficult decision for the Club, not least because I have an excellent personal relationship with Frank and I have the utmost respect for him.
He is a man of great integrity and has the highest of work ethics. However, under current circumstances we believe it is best to change managers.’’
“On behalf of everyone at the Club, the Board and personally, I would like to thank Frank for his work as Head Coach and wish him every success in the future. He is an important icon of this great club and his status here remains undiminished. He will always be warmly welcomed back at Stamford Bridge,” he added.
Reciprocation by Lampard later followed as he gave a statement praising the influx of academy products into the first team- an achievement that was long overdue at the club before his recruitment as the manager.
“It has been a huge privilege and an honour to manage Chelsea, a club that has been a huge part of my life for so long. Firstly, I would like to thank the fans for the incredible support that I have received for the last 18 months. I hope they know what that means to me,’’ he said on his social media page.
“I am proud of the achievements that we made, and I am proud of the Academy players that have made their step into the first team and performed well. They are the future of the club.
I am disappointed not to have had the time this season to take the club forward and bring it to the next level.’’
Chelsea sits ninth on the log and they will play Wolves on Wednesday as they seek to bounce back to winning ways and renew top four hopes.