Tuchel’s boys can party like it’s 2012
THE party was still going strong when the sun came up – and Didier Drogba jumped into the swimming pool.
It was the morning after the greatest night in Chelsea’s history as they celebrated winning the Champions League in 2012 – and the similarities are so stark they will probably give Thomas Tuchel’s men belief they can repeat the success on Saturday.
Chelsea had beaten Bayern Munich in their own stadium with Drogba scoring the winning penalty in a shootout after his equaliser in normal time.
Chelsea legends Roberto Di Matteo and Eddie Newton were put in charge after Andre Villas-Boas was sacked in March and just over two months later the pair guided the club to their first Champions League trophy.
“We had family and friends at the party and one of my friends came who I’ve known since we were aged five at primary school,” said Newton, 49.
“He just said to me, ‘Can you imagine we were playing on the playground one day, the next we’re in Germany celebrating winning the Champions League’. Life is so mad. It
was a good party, obviously. players let loose and deserved it.”
Newton, as the assistant, formed a brilliant partnership with Di Matteo in 2012 and sees parallels with 2021, as Tuchel took over in January with the club going through a bad patch.
Tuchel is sweating on the fitness of N’Golo Kante and Edouard Mendy and Newton recalls how Chelsea were not sure whether David Luiz and Gary Cahill would be ready.
He said: “We were worried they might not get through the warm-up let alone the game. I do see similarities.
“Manchester City will be favourites but Tuchel has done a great job and Chelsea have beaten them twice this
The
Drogba with Gary Cahill and Ryan Bertrand celebrating their European Cup triumph in Bayern’s back yard year. The final in 2012 was incredible because the whole of Munich thought it was Bayern’s destiny to win it. But we were so determined.”
Newton took over at Trabzonspor in 2020, where he won the Turkish Cup.
He is still in the country as his wife is Turkish, enjoying life, but is open to offers again having lost his job.
His real buzz comes from working with players.
He said: “In football there’s no patience… and in Turkey there’s even less patience. I’m not bitter but people need to understand it was a difficult season. I’m open to a challenge here, in England, wherever, I love being on the pitch with players.”
Chelsea beat City twice already this year