Thomas Tuchel quizzed on Chelsea’s European Super League plans

The German boss becomes the first Premier League manager to face a full press conference since news broke of the breakaway competition’s launch

Thomas Tuchel has immediately been asked his thoughts on the European Super League in his press conference with Chelsea on Monday afternoon.

The Blues face Brighton in the Premier League on Tuesday and beat Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at the weekend, but on-pitch matters took a firm back seat to discuss the prospect of Chelsea being one of the founding clubs and how he might feel to be leading the team into a different competition with a different set of rules.

While reserved in his own opinion of the breakaway competition, Tuchel urged patience in finding out the full scope of facts and intimated that, as an employee, he would go along with the wishes of the club.

“I know it since yesterday but I’m here to be in the hardest competition. That’s why I came here. That’s what I love, to play the toughest competitions in Europe. That’s why I’m at Chelsea,” he said.

“I don’t get involved with all these subjects around us, I’m a bit sad all these subjects are there now, I thought we could talk about Man City and more important the Brighton game. That’s maybe not the case today.

“I want to play these club competitions, I trust the club to make the right decisions and it’s too early to judge everything and it’s not my part. On my badge from Chelsea it says I have to play my role. My role is to be a coach, to be focused and we have an important game coming up tomorrow.”

Pressed on his thoughts regarding the prospect of the change, Tuchel doubled down on needing time to fully assess the situation but said there was no involvement on his part or that of his players in Chelsea becoming a founder club.

“There are many emotional reactions out there which I can understand but I honestly don’t know enough to judge it, I don’t know the details and I was clearly, obviously not involved, my players were not involved in the decision-making.

“Maybe it’s a good thing to step back, don’t give our opinions and don’t lose our head about this because this is clearly a thing between the clubs and we have to make sure we fight for the goals that we still have this season.”

Tuchel fielded several questions regarding the Super League, but insisted that he and the squad simply had to stay focused on what they could affect, letting others sort out the off-field business.

“I think so [the club will explain more about the Super League to players]. I think like me the players trust the club, we are employees of the club, and I think it is best not to get involved in sports politics. This is above our heads.

“It’s maybe impossible to not be influenced by it and hopefully we can stay calm like we are here in Cobham and can influence the players so they don’t get distracted.”

Regarding the day’s other big piece of football news, Tottenham sacking manager Jose Mourinho, Tuchel had sympathy for his now-former rival.

“We wish that doesn’t happen, of course. If it happens it never feels good as another manager. It’s clearly not my job to comment. Everybody fights hard for results. When a big decision like this is coming it was a surprise, I did not see it coming, but I was not focusing at all on their situation.”