Lille (dpa) – Despite the severe sanctions imposed by the British government, coach Thomas Tuchel is convinced that Chelsea will reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
“We will fight and show the spirit that is necessary to progress,” said the 48-year-old before the round of 16 second leg at OSC Lille on the DAZN streaming service. The German coach wants to hide the difficult economic situation of the defending champion as much as possible. “We focus on the sport, that’s what we can influence,” said Tuchel. Chelsea won the first leg 2-0.
Due to the sanctions against club owner Roman Abramovich, the Londoners are not allowed to transfer players, sell tickets and have had to close all fan shops. The British government had imposed the strict measures against the owner because of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. As a result, Chelsea were only able to take fewer staff with them to Lille than usual.