TUCHEL AND CALLUM BURY THE HATCHET
THOMAS TUCHEL insists it is ‘business as usual’ after making his peace with Callum Hudson-Odoi over the controversial decision to substitute the Chelsea winger against Southampton.
Hudson-Odoi, himself a half-time replacement for Tammy Abraham, made way for Hakim Ziyech with 14 minutes left, just over half-an-hour after coming on in the 1-1 Premier League draw.
The England international was pictured looking understandably disappointed in the stand and was criticised by new Blues boss Tuchel afterwards, calling his ‘energy and attitude’ into question.
Tuchel revealed he had cleared the air with the player in front of the squad post-match and that the 20-year-old could start against Atletico Madrid in tonight’s Champions League last-16, firstleg tie in Bucharest.
‘We spoke to him in front of the whole group because I had my reasons to do it. We spoke as a group to not make it bigger than it is,’ said Tuchel.
‘Sometimes you reflect on why you did it... still I did it and the only reaction we wanted was he went back to a normal mood, to a good mood, to a smile, and the next day was very, very good in training.
‘It was a lesson to learn for him and me also, and we go on and then it’s forgotten. Business as usual. No big thing.’
Captain Cesar Azpilicueta, meanwhile, backed Hudson-Odoi to come back stronger. ‘It’s not nice to come on and then be brought off after 30 minutes. That’s obvious,’ he said. ‘What’s important is to see his reaction, a positive reaction. He will get better and stronger. The next day in training the incident was finished.’
CHELSEA manager Thomas Tuchel came close to signing Luis Suarez last year but admitted he might not be tempted to try to do the same now.
Former Liverpool striker Suarez lines up for Spanish league leaders Atletico Madrid against the Blues in tonight’s Champions League last-16, first-leg tie in the neutral venue of Bucharest.
Suarez, then a free agent, was mooted as a replacement for the Manchester United-bound Edinson Cavani in September when Tuchel was still in charge of Paris Saint-Germain.
The 34-year-old Uruguay forward eventually left Barcelona for La Liga rivals Atletico after his contract at the Nou Camp expired and he has scored 16 goals since snubbing PSG to join up with Diego Simeone’s men.
Suarez (pictured) has his own history with Chelsea having been suspended for ten matches in 2013 after biting Blues defender Branislav Ivanovic on the arm and Tuchel said: ‘We were interested because he is one the best forwards in world football. He decided to stay in Spain, move to Atletico, and has proven his quality.
‘He is a born striker and has the mentality that only strikers have. This mentality is to show his will, intensity and anger to score, score and score. So what a mentality, what a player.
‘I’m not involved in his history with Chelsea and to me it’s never good to look too far in the past.
‘We only look forward. We play him tomorrow and we know about his qualities. We are aware of them and will try to stop him from scoring.’
Asked whether he would be keen to bring Suarez back to England with the Blues, Tuchel replied: ‘I don’t know. That was down to a particular moment and he maybe would have been a fit to our squad in Paris. He is under contract now at Atletico Madrid and it’s not worth thinking about it.’
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva misses the game with injury but Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic are in contention to feature in the Romanian capital.
He is a born striker and has the mentality and intensity to score, score and score