THOMAS TUCHEL has joked he’ll DRIVE his Chelsea stars to matches in a seven-seater car if the club can’t afford a jet.
Earlier this week, Blues owner Roman Abramovich was slapped with sanctions over his ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
Thomas Tuchel has joked he will DRIVE a seven-seater to get his team to Lille if Chelsea cannot afford to get them there any other wayCredit: EPAChelsea may have to ditch a private jet because of sanctions on Roman AbramovichCredit: Getty
Chelsea are now banned from all transfer activity – including offering players new contracts – with Abramovich unable to cash-in on the club.
The Blues are also barred from selling tickets and flogging merchandise – and are only able to make money from food and drink on home match days.
There have also been reports that Chelsea will not be able to afford a private jet and may have to travel to Lille on a budget airline.
It has been claimed they have been set a £20,000 per-match limit for spending for away games – meaning they will have to ditch the luxuries.
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Despite the club being financially in limbo, Tuchel has revealed he is not concerned about the football side of things.
When asked if he was worried about getting to Wednesday’s Champions League clash in Lille, Tuchel said: “Honestly, we love football, so if we have a plane, we’ll go by plane.
“If not, we go by train and, if not, we go by bus and, if not, I’ll drive a seven-seater!
“We will arrive in Lille because we love to play the competition.
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“I know the matter is serious, I am joking, but I’m still confident things will be sorted out once we find a buyer.
“We need to have hope and we need to stay confident because we’re a massive club.
“Hopefully there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.”
When pushed for further updates on the club’s situation, Tuchel continued: “There is not much news but hopefully the sale will come.
“I am not a person who worries too much. It is important to set the spirit and show that spirit for everyone working at Stamford Bridge and at Cobham.
“It is not just the first team. Others worry much more and for them it’s important we show fighting spirit.
“Unfortunately, we cannot influence the situation, but that gives us the chance to put it aside and focus on the things we can influence.”
Chelsea have already lost £170million in sponsorship deals involving Three and Hyundai.
Despite that, the Blues turned out in kits bearing BOTH companies’ logos for the last-gasp 1-0 win over Newcastle.
The club, however, were forced to change their team news posts on social media to omit their former sponsors’ presence.
Fans showed their support for Abramovich at the clash against Newcastle – with one banner reading ‘The Roman Empire’ set over a Russian flag and bearing the owner’s face.
Abramovich had formally put the club up for sale just days before being hit with sanctions.
The Russian billionaire had been hoping to sell Chelsea for a staggering £3billion.
