Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has been named Kickers’ German coach of the year.
The 47-year-old first arrived at Stamford Bridge in January and replaced club legend Frank Lampard in hot seats.
Tuchel brought Champions League honor to Chelsea / Marc Atkins / Getty Images
He almost immediately won over the fan base when he made the Blues one of the toughest sides in Europe to beat, helping them strike back from a seemingly impossible position to secure a place in the top four.
Of course, Tuchel’s crown came when Chelsea beat Premier League winners Manchester City 1-0 in the Champions League final, and only lifted the European Cup for the second time.
His triumph with Chelsea comes just one year after losing the final to Paris Saint-Germain, which he only left in December 2020.
Tuchel was humble and talked to Kicker about the award and recorded his personal achievements.
“I accept the award very gratefully as a great honor for the whole team because I see myself as a team player,” he said. “Therefore, the personal price is a little uncomfortable for me. Who wants to decide what is the biggest. Maybe Christian Streich [manager of Freiburg] or Bo Svensson [manager of Mainz] earned the award. You may be able to drive to Freiburg every year. You may need to drive to Heidenheim because the work there is outstanding. “
Bayern Munich legend Jupp Heynckes praised Tuchel and said he fully deserves the award.
“I have appreciated Thomas for many years,” Heynckes said. “He is passionate about football. Only with this commitment has he been able to be so successful. He fully deserves the award as coach of the year. There are ups and downs in the coaching profession, but in the end, the pendulum always beats the side of the one who deserves it.”
