THOMAS TUCHEL
Champions League winner and second in the World Soccer Manager vote
Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke and Paris SaintGermain director of sport Leonardo would not have particularly enjoyed seeing Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel make an instantly impressive impact at Stamford Bridge in the second half of last season, steering his new side to Champions League glory thanks to splendid victories over Atletico Madrid, Porto, Real Madrid and Manchester City.
While in charge of Dortmund (2015-18) and PSG (2018-20), Tuchel spectacularly fell out with both Watzke and Leonardo, thus leaving himself ripe for the sack. Now, however, the boot is on the other foot, with the Bavarian-born coach firmly ensconced at the pinnacle of the European game. Not bad for someone whom the PSG high command jettisoned on Christmas Eve 2020 – a mere four months after leading the Parisians to the silver medal in the Champions League – and who often was lambasted in the French media for not giving the Parc des Princes outfit a recognisable playing identity and for not keeping a tight rein on star names Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
What Tuchel achieved at Chelsea in just a few months last term can only be categorised as phenomenal. Under previous Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, the Blues had been labouring badly, sloppy tactically, demotivated and disunited. All this would change dramatically with the perfectionist Tuchel on the case. Here was a masterclass in righting an apparently sinking ship. Every call a roaring success: considerably upping the organisation and intensity levels, rebuilding confidence and especially transforming the back-line into the most impenetrable of units.
The 48-year-old is a details man and the Chelsea pros have clearly responded to that strong hand on the tiller. Tremendously competent as well as visionary, he was just what Chelsea required.
Tuchel’s reputation as the spiky, obsessive control freak has caused him problems in the past. But certainly not with Chelsea, where everyone swears by his powers to mobilise a group, prepare an immaculate game plan and create a winning culture. Working in the Premier League very much appears to have brought out the best in him. “I have the feeling that at the moment, I’m in the perfect environment,” he told German sport magazine in August. “The training mentality of the players [in England], their dedication to the basics, warms my heart and makes every day a good one.”
Strange as it may seem for a such a talented team builder and strategist, Tuchel has, up until quite recently, proved something of a love-hate figure, either rated as extraordinarily brilliant in his methods or totally overrated. The way he hit the ground running in west London should no doubt help to bring in a swathe of fresh converts. “People absolutely did not know what a great man and communicator Thomas Tuchel is,” says legendary former Dortmund and Bayern Munich boss Ottmar Hitzfeld. “In the career of a coach, there are highs and lows. But at the end of the day, the pendulum always ends up striking on the side of those who deserve it.”