Tuchel calms Chelsea ahead of Real Madrid
CHELSEA face Real Madrid on Wednesday reeling from their heaviest defeat of the season, but Thomas Tuchel’s battle-hardened ability to keep his players focused should ensure the Champions League holders are ready for the latest test of their resilience.
While Saturday’s shock 4-1 home defeat against Brentford was hardly ideal preparation for the quarter-final first leg against Real, Chelsea boss Tuchel has dealt with worse setbacks during a turbulent period for his club.
When Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the British government for his alleged links with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine, the Blues were plunged into a financial meltdown that threatened to engulf Tuchel’s team.
Unable to negotiate new contracts with players due to the sanctions, Chelsea have had to sit by while key defenders Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta considered their futures.
As if that wasn’t potentially distracting enough, fears were mounting that Chelsea might be pushed into administration amid the mayhem triggered by the sanctions.
Restricted on the amount of money they could spend on travel to away games, Tuchel joked he was willing to drive the team bus himself before their Champions League last 16 win at Lille.
Yet, despite the chaos, Tuchel kept his players focused so well that they won six successive matches in all competitions immediately after Abramovich put the club up for sale.
It was a winning streak that underlined Tuchel’s best qualities as he deflected any pressure away from his players with intelligent, empathetic responses to questions about the war in Ukraine and the unintended consequences for Chelsea.
That made it all the more surprising when Chelsea returned from the international break with such a sloppy display last weekend, as Brentford recovered from Rudiger’s opener to beat their west London neighbours for the first time since 1939.
Aware his players cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves with Real’s visit to Stamford Bridge looming, Tuchel tried to downplay the extent of the Brentford defeat.
“After so many wins and so many good results, I will now refuse to
make a drama out of it. Why should we?” he said.
Jamal Musiala, the teenage jewel in Bayern’s midfield
He only turned 19 in February, but Jamal Musiala is proving to be the versatile teenage jewel in Bayern Munich’s midfield who turned down Chelsea in favour of a return to his native Germany.
When Bayern face Villarreal away in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie Wednesday,
Musiala could be deployed either as an attacking or defensive midfielder.
“He can enrich any team – including Bayern Munich and the national team,” said Germany head coach Hansi Flick.
“He knows how to assert himself, creates space, is very good in one-onones and can dribble at speed.”
Musiala broke into Bayern’s first team last season as an attacking midfielder with an eye for a defencesplitting pass.
He was born in Stuttgart, but moved
with his family to England as a child and rose through Chelsea’s academy before joining Bayern in 2019.
Despite playing for England Under21s in 2020, he opted to play senior football for Germany.
His full debut for the four-time world champions followed in March 2021. Last September, Germany legend Lothar Matthaeus said Musiala can become “a second Neymar”, after the teenager dazzled with a goal and assist off the bench as Bayern hammered RB Leipzig.