Thomas Tuchel is one of the elite managers in world football.
Yet, he was sacked almost without notice!
In his 100 games in charge of Chelsea FC, Tuchel had a phenomenal 60% winning rate and delivered the ultimate prize in European football, the Champions League.
However, none of this mattered to the club’s owners, Clearlake Capital and its chairman Todd Boehly.
It’s true that Chelsea’s recent results have been below expectations but surely, there was enough time to catch up and improve.
So, it’s fair to assume that the decision was not based on footballing reasons alone.
Based on the latest reports, it’s becoming apparent that there was a power struggle between Tuchel and Boehly.
Tuchel is a strong personality. He is not a yes-man.
This didn’t go down well with Boehly who wanted to have his own say, though he has no footballing background.
The star-struck Boehly was keen to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, after the Portugal star expressed his willingness to move from United.
Desperate to land the move, Boehly even met with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s agent Jorge Mendes to try and thrash out a deal.
However, Tuchel was against this move.
Tuchel opposed it from the very start and is thought to have told Boehly that Ronaldo would “destroy the spirit in my dressing room.”
Tuchel prioritised players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and completely ruled out the prospect of adding the United star to his squad.
This sealed Tuchel’s fate.
A shaky start to the season that has seen Chelsea win just three of their opening six Premier League games further strained Tuchel’s relationship with the board.
The loss to Dynamo Zagreb gave the board the right excuse to get rid of Tuchel.
In conclusion, it’s about ego and not about football.
The news of Tuchel’s sacking came as a surprise to footballing pundits across the globe.
Even Tuchel was stunned and pleaded for a second chance when he got the phone call on Wednesday morning.
However, the decision had been made.
Brighton boss Graham Potter is currently being touted as the favourite to succeed the German.
He met up with Boehly on Wednesday afternoon and is expected to be receptive to Boehly’s suggestions than Tuchel.
This might land him the job.