The attention of the football world will be on Thomas Tuchel, as there are speculations that he will take his place as Frank Lampard successor to manage Chelsea.
In a statement on Monday, Chelsea said: “This has been a very difficult decision and not one that the owner and the board have taken lightly” after sacking its manager, Frank Lampard after 18 months in charge.
As we await Tuchel’s news, allow TheLeadng help you get better acquainted with one of the most talented German coaches of his generation, revered for his tactical knowledge and style of play.
- Tuchel’s playing career ended at age 25, as a result of a chronic knee cartilage injury. He started his coaching career in 2000, working for the youth teams at VfB Stuttgart for five years.
- In 2009, following a successful one-year period at FC Augsburg II, he was hired by newly-promoted Bundesliga club Mainz 05.
- Tuchel guided Mainz to league stability during his five seasons at the club, where he gained plaudits for his brand of energetic, attacking football.
- He also cultivated a reputation for having a focus on promoting youth players.He departed Mainz in 2014 as a result of financial disputes, and in 2015, was appointed at fellow Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, where he won the DFB-Pokal before being dismissed in 2017.
- French club Paris Saint-Germain appointed him in 2018, where he won two league titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to its first-ever UEFA Champions League final.
- After enjoying a brief unbeaten record, Tuchel suffered his first defeat at PSG on September 18, losing 3–2 away to Liverpool in a UEFA Champions League group game. However, by November, Tuchel breaks the record for the most wins to start a domestic league season, as he registered twelve straight victories.
- Tuchel’s 2019-20 season was so impressive that André Villas-Boas, coach of PSG’s Classique rivals Olympique de Marseille, broke rank recently and railed against the fact Tuchel had not made FIFA’s shortlist for the Best Men’s Coach award for 2010.
- Tuchel has been praised for his tactical knowledge and flexibility as well as his implementation of innovative training methods. At Paris Saint-Germain, Tuchel primarily played a 4–3–3 with plenty of flair to emphasize the attacking capabilities of wide forwards Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.
- Tuchel’s coaching career has also been characterized by his fractious relationships with his employers.
- Thomas Tuchel was born 29 August 1973. He is a German professional football coach and former player.
