THOMAS TUCHEL claims he feared Chelsea didn’t trust his managerial abilities after offering him an 18-month contract.
The German boss penned the relatively short-term deal in January replacing the sacked Frank Lampard.
Thomas Tuchel claims he feared he wasn’t trusted by the Chelsea boardCredit: AFP OR LICENSORS
His contract reportedly has the option for an extra year extension should he seal Champions League football twice.
Tuchel is off to a flying start at Stamford Bridge with six wins in his first eight matches while drawing the other two.
But speaking over the initial contact, the former Paris Saint-German gaffer admitted he initially had doubts.
He told Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport: “It was all done in 72 hours.
“At first I didn’t like it, I thought ‘maybe they don’t trust me?’
“‘I have to leave my country, maybe leave my family behind and they are many points behind fourth spot’.
“Maybe we won’t make it which is still possible because it’s a tough race and it will be easy to sack me again.
“But after just a matter of minutes I took the weight off my shoulders.
Roman Abramovich offered Tuchel just an 18-month contractCredit: AFP – Getty
Thomas Tuchel is off to an impressive start as Chelsea managerCredit: EPA
“I thought ‘if I’m good, if they like what I’m doing they will make me stay.’
“‘If I’m not good, if I dont have good results they will sack me anyway.’
“I can have a five-year contract and they could still sack me so why worry about it?
“Am I convinced about myself? Yes. Am I convinced about this club and team? Yes and yes. So why worry?
“From there on I stepped out of the cycle of thinking and I live a bit easier now. I don’t worry as much.”
It is no wonder Tuchel is backing himself to earn his corn as he arrived in the Premier League with two Ligue 1 titles, a French and German domestic cup trophy and a Champions League runners-up medal.
His side are currently fifth in the league, two points adrift of high-flyers West Ham but with Manchester United and Liverpool in his next two matches.
Tuchel’s short-term contract could also be a conscious decision by Roman Abramovich to prevent paying such a hefty compensation fee if he does sack him.
The Russian owner has forked out a staggering £112m during his time at Stamford Bridge in axing managers.
⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
Steve McManaman hails ‘brilliant’ Chelsea star Mason Mount against Atletico Madrid
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
