London (AP) – While the Chelsea FC players completed their training sessions in the bright sunshine in Abu Dhabi, Thomas Tuchel isolated himself in the drizzle in cold London.
After his positive corona test, it is still unclear when the Chelsea coach can follow his team to the United Arab Emirates. “Hopefully this week,” says the Champions League winner, where Tuchel’s assistants Arno Michels and Zsolt Löw are currently in charge of training.
Possible participation of Tuchel in the final
It is unlikely that world coach Tuchel will be present at Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup opener on Wednesday, but it could work for the final. In the semifinals (5.30 p.m. / Sport1), the Blues first meet Al Hilal. The Saudi football club won the Asian Champions League for the fourth time in 2021 and is at the Club World Cup for the second time. For Chelsea, the sunny tournament is a welcome distraction from the exhausting everyday football life in gray England, where things are currently going a bit bumpy for the Londoners, and not just in terms of sport.
With just two wins from their last eight Premier League games, Chelsea’s championship race is all but over. Third-placed in the table, who was considered the favorite for the title at the start of the season, is ten points behind leaders Manchester City and has played a game more. In the league, Chelsea are only concerned with securing Champions League qualification.
In the FA Cup, the team only struggled to a narrow 2-1 victory against third-tier Plymouth Argyle in extra time. Neither Romelu Lukaku nor the German attacking stars Kai Havertz and Timo Werner scored a goal. Defenders César Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso had to fix it. Luton Town is now waiting in the round of 16. After all, the club plays as a second division team a class higher than Plymouth.
Performance improvement needed
So Chelsea need to improve significantly to reach the cup final again after losing two finals (2020 against Arsenal and 2012 against Leicester City). In addition, Tuchel and his team will welcome OSC Lille to the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League in two weeks. Shortly thereafter, the Blues contest the League Cup final against Liverpool – a minor trophy but a prestigious duel.
Lukaku of all people, who was brought back to Stamford Bridge in the summer for the club’s record sum of around 115 million euros, threatens to become a problem for Tuchel. The Belgian hardly scores anymore and criticized Tuchel in a sensitive interview with Sky Italia. He apologized, but the relationship with the coach is considered difficult. And the star striker looks oddly out of place.
Antonio Rüdiger should worry his coach for completely different reasons. The Germany international is in the form of his life under Tuchel. This arouses the desires of the competition. The 28-year-old would be available for free in the summer. According to the British media, the negotiations about a contract extension in London have not yet come to a conclusion because of Rüdiger’s salary demands.
problems from the past
Chelsea made negative headlines when it was revealed that the club was paying compensation to four former youth players. They are said to have been racially insulted and physically attacked by their coaches in the 1990s. To avoid a lengthy High Court hearing at which prominent names such as Sir Geoff Hurst, Glenn Hoddle and David James were to testify, the club settled the matter out of court.
The Club World Cup, for which two league games will be postponed, should come in very handy for Chelsea. Away from home, the Blues can make more positive headlines if they clinch the title in Saturday’s final. Whether against Al-Ahly from Egypt or Palmeiras from Sao Paulo – Chelsea, possibly with returnee and Africa Cup of Nations winner Edouard Mendy in goal, are the clear favorites in Abu Dhabi. And the first trophy of the season could start a mood swing.