Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has rejected the idea that someone at the club needs to apologize to him for their role in the failed Super League, as he is simply the man paid to run the team.
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The Blues were one of the 12 founding members of the breakaway competition, but after fans protested against Tuesday’s goalless draw against Brighton, they were the first to express their intention to walk away from the competition.
Direct Petr Cech went out to talk to protesting fans Sebastian Frej / MB Media / Getty Images
It suddenly ceased the tumultuous 48 hours that Tuchel blamed for his sides’ overwhelming performance against the seagull, but he insisted that owner Roman Abramovich and chairman Bruce Buck owed him no apology for their actions.
“Yes, it has been distracting, but it’s the owner’s club, it’s not my club,” Tuchel told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s meeting with West Ham. “I’m part of the club, but it’s the owner and the club’s decision, and now they’re changing the decision.
“There is no reason to apologize directly to me, my job is to adapt to the circumstances. And were we distracted? Yes, of course.
“I personally arrived in a state of mind on Tuesday at the arena, which was clearly not the way of thinking I normally arrive at a match. But it’s already before, and like I said, I do not think they need to apologize to me. ”
Tuchel does not expect an apology from Abramovich | BEN STANSALL / Getty Images
Tuchel also acknowledged that he expects fans to forgive the club’s board fairly quickly, pointing to all the positive work Chelsea have done in the community over the past decade.
Abramovich has personally invested in the fight against racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination in football, and during the COVID-19 outbreak, he gave NHS staff free use of the club’s hotels to show their appreciation for their efforts.
“I think the people and the fans know very, very well that it is also the owners’ credit that improves their clubs, builds strong clubs and makes the world the most competitive league,” he continued.
“So I think they appreciate it very, very well. And people can also read very clearly and can distinguish one thing from another and they express their opinion on this decision. They were absolutely not happy, the fans, obviously.
“But I do not think it generally affects the perception of what, for example, our owner of this club does for society, for the academy, for the women’s team and for the first team.”
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