The championship in the premier league is for the FC Chelsea hard to win. Although the “Blues” won 2-0 against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (January 23, 2022), after just two wins from the past eight games, Chelsea are ten points behind the leaders Manchester City, with already one more game. Thomas Tuchel is also unlikely to manage to lead Chelsea to their first championship title since 2016/17 this season. And yet his first year in London is a resounding success for the club.
First Europe’s champions, then the best coach in the world
On Wednesday (01/26/2022) Tuchel celebrates his first anniversary, when he took over in 2021 Chelsea was ninth, seven points behind the top 4 and far from their own claim to be a top team. The former coach of Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund and Paris st Germain but grabbed the turn, won with Chelsea Champions League and also led her to fourth place in the national competition, which would have made entry had the win not been a success.
Chelsea are doing well under Tuchel in the current season, belong to the top group in the Premier League and have so far coped with their tasks in the cup competitions without any problems. The personal consequence of this rise: Tuchel has now been named World Coach of the Year.
When Tuchel came, Rüdiger no longer wanted to be there
But the Coach is not the only German who caused the change at Chelsea. A compatriot who actually only wanted to leave when Tuchel came a year ago benefited enormously from him: Antonio Rüdiger.
The national player had only played four out of 20 games before the change of coach at Chelsea twelve months ago. Under Tuchel, if Rüdiger is fit, he plays – and better than ever. “You have to see a career in chapters. I enjoy this chapter. So far it’s the best part of my career“said the defense attorney recently at”Sky Sports“.
And Rüdiger knows who he owes it to: “Tuchel breathed new life into me. I wouldn’t say he said, ‘You have to be the biggest talker in the locker room.’ I am not like that“, the 28-year-old told the “Guardians“.”I like to show everything on the field. He told me what he expects – my natural game: to be aggressive, to be a leader.“
“He is an absolute leader”
That’s exactly what he became under Tuchel. “Toni has established himself exceptionally since the first day we arrived. He is an absolute leader and plays at an incredibly high level“, said his coach. In the semifinals of League Cups against the Tottenham Hotspur Rüdiger even played a decisive part in getting into the final as a goalscorer.
Rüdiger had previously insisted on being allowed to leave the club before the end of the winter transfer window a year ago in order to be able to offer himself somewhere else for the European Championship in summer. But thanks to Tuchel he managed to do that at Chelsea, meanwhile he is not only set in the club but also in the German national team.
Will the collaboration end soon?
But now Rüdiger has to make a future decision that he can make himself. His contract expires at the end of June – and interested parties are queuing up. So far, Chelsea have tried unsuccessfully to persuade the former Stuttgarter to sign. It is said that Rüdiger rejected a first offer with an annual salary of almost nine million euros, and now Chelsea want to improve.
It is also Tuchel’s great wish to continue working with the player he has brought to the world class. The relationship between the coach and Rüdiger should definitely be something the club will rely on.
And Tuchel also believes that he and those responsible for the club will achieve their goal. “We are confident. We have some things to offer. He is the player he is in a Chelsea shirt and in the Chelsea environment. I think he knows that“Tuchel said.
Status: 01/19/2022, 18:14