Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has admitted that he gave the club’s board a chance to reconsider his decision to fire Frank Lampard and appoint him back in January.
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The Blues’ dismissal of Lampard, one of the greatest players in club history, was met with real hostility from some supporters, although their decision ceased to be justified as Tuchel led Chelsea to Champions League glory after just four months.
Tuchel was brought in to replace Lampard / Pool / Getty Images
In fact, the dismissal of Lampard was so controversial that Tuchel admitted that he too was unsure of replacing the club legend, giving them one last chance to reconsider their decision before putting the pen to paper.
“I actually said to the board in the first phone call, ‘are you sure you’re doing this? [The fans] “will not like you, maybe he deserves more time,” he told Sky Sports. When I think of Chelsea, I think of Frank Lampard, John Terry, Petr Cech, Didier Drogba. I’m thinking of [Lampard] in the very first moment.
“He embodies everything Chelsea stands for. He is a hard worker, an aggressive player, a great leader, but at the same time he is a normal guy on the pitch and such a team player. A true, true legend.
“But I clearly understood the choice [to sack Lampard] was done. The chance was to take it or leave it.
“I was hoping for a fair chance with the players, because when you step in, of course, not everyone will be happy. You can not expect everyone to be happy with the coach. [Lampard] had a good Champions League group game, had good results and performances, but sometimes he just got unlucky.
Tuchel gave Champions League honor to Chelsea / Matthew Ashton – AMA / Getty Images
“I said very early, ‘listen guys, I did not drive him out. I’m just here now to continue things in my own way, so let’s try to be open and give each other a chance. “
Tuchel quickly made a point of giving each player a chance to prove himself and welcomed left-back Marcos Alonso and midfielder Jorginho back from the cold, and the pair played big roles as Chelsea stunned Europe on their way to winning the ultimate prize. .
