Thomas Tuchel insists he’s happy to work within Chelsea’s ‘clear’ structure and says he is confident of maintaining a strong working relationship with the club’s hierarchy.
Tuchel was named as the new head coach of the west London side this week and oversaw his first game in charge with the goalless draw against Wolves in midweek, with the German tasked with overturning a poor run of form that has seen Chelsea win just two of their past nine league fixtures.
The 47-year-old has enjoyed successful spells at both Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain before moving to the Premier League, though has acquired a reputation for stubbornness when it comes to working alongside club chiefs.
His relationship with PSG sporting director, Leonardo, deteriorated before his sacking by the Parisians last month, but Tuchel insists he is confident his personality can work under the ‘clear’ structure at Stamford Bridge.
“It’s pure passion,” Tuchel said, as per the Guardian. “Also some principles. Your word is your word and I trust the word of a man.
“There’s always two sides to a story and I’m not here to blame anybody. I do also see this in myself. What I like now, why I am very positive, is that I am absolutely self-aware that this is a thing to improve and to be also more relaxed and maybe not to be too stubborn in my beliefs.
“The other thing is the structure that I find here is very clear and very easy. There are not many people who make the decisions and I can live with that. When things are clear, it is on me as the head coach to on one hand adapt and on the other hand make my opinion clear and give analysis of where I think we can improve. I hope this comes along in the right way.”
Tuchel also discussed the expectations on his shoulders after signing an 18-month deal with the Blues, with owner Roman Abramovich having been notoriously quick to dismiss managers who have failed to meet his standards.
“Maybe nobody expects me to be here long, maybe because of the history of coaches and Chelsea. “Maybe I stay long. If I don’t stay long, I don’t stay long. I cannot lose my focus right now.”
Tuchel will no doubt be firmly focused on securing a top four finish and potential silverware this season, though we’re sure joining a long list of Chelsea managerial payoffs would no doubt sweeten any exit should he fall short.
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