Tuchel blames sanctions for Rudiger exit

THOMAS TUCHEL admitted Chelsea will struggle to replace Antonio Rudiger after his departure was confirmed. The Chelsea boss revealed the defender had told him he wants to leave when his contract expires this summer. Government sanctions left the club with their ‘hands tied’, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus all in talks with the German. Tuchel insisted Chelsea would ‘find solutions’ but conceded that signing another player of that calibre would be tough, even without sanctions. ‘Even then it will be incredibly difficult because Toni is a big personality, a big leader and he takes fear away from other people,’ said Tuchel. ‘We will miss him a lot. It will be challenging but, no matter how much I love Toni and how big a role he has played, there will be life at Chelsea without Toni Rudiger. We will find solutions.’ Rudiger, 29, missed yesterday’s victory through injury, with Christian Pulisic’s 90th-minute winner securing all three points after Jorginho’s late penalty miss. Rudiger is due back in training this week and Tuchel has ‘absolutely no concern’ about playing him ahead of his exit. ‘We had big offers for him and the club tried everything but we cannot fight any more because we have the sanctions,’ said Tuchel. ‘Our hands are tied. We don’t take it personally. It is his decision.’ Rudiger’s departure only reinforces the importance of a swift takeover of the club.

‘You cannot pull grass so it grows faster. We wish for it, we have to deal with the reality and at the moment the sanctions are still in place, the situation is not clear for next season,’ added Tuchel. West Ham boss David Moyes, meanwhile, insisted there is no need to panic after Declan Rice turned down a third contract offer. The England midfielder has up to three years left on his deal. ‘We’ve said before that we’ve got no intention of selling,’ said Moyes. ‘Maybe he just wants more money. ‘It is not unusual for players to turn down contracts, maybe it is a negotiation tactic. I don’t think there is any big panic — I sold Wayne Rooney and Everton got better.’