Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has vowed that the sanctions imposed on Blues owner Roman Abramovich, which threw the European champions into disarray before their 3-1 win at Norwich on Thursday, will not devastate the club.
Abramovich was one of seven more oligarchs subjected to new British restrictions in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian billionaire’s UK assets have been frozen, and Chelsea is currently prohibited from signing new players, renewing contracts, or selling match tickets.
Chelsea’s club shop has also been closed, and the club’s main shirt sponsor, mobile phone company Three, has responded to the sanctions by temporarily suspending the deal.
Chelsea’s survival is under threat as a result of the sanctions, and their long-term future is uncertain.
Tuchel, the Blues’ manager, insisted after the Premier League victory over Norwich that his team was not giving up.
“So far, we have been able to trust each other, and this will not change.” “We’ll be there and compete hard as long as we have enough shirts and a bus to drive to the games,” he said.
“Everyone can be certain that we are focused on ourselves, on maintaining the right attitude and mentality on the training ground and within the team.”
Abramovich had already stated his willingness to sell Chelsea, with a slew of interested parties declaring their interest in a club that has won 19 major trophies since the Russian took over in 2003. Tuchel has no idea where the club will go after Abramovich leaves, but he will not be concerned about problems he cannot control.
“Let’s see if it stays this way. I’m not sure if it will. We’re taking things one day at a time. “I didn’t see that coming yesterday, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen tomorrow,” Tuchel said.
“The level of impact it has, today’s news is big, but we don’t know how big in time.” We have no control over it. That could be a good or a bad thing. It’s true.”
Tuchel has been linked with a departure from Chelsea as a result of the club’s recent upheaval.
But the German, who has won the Champions League and Club World Cup since joining Abramovich’s team in January 2021, is content at the west London club.
“I’m still glad to be here, and I’m glad to be the manager of a strong team,” he said.
Chelsea moved into third place in the Premier League, nine points ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United in the race for a top-four finish, after cruising past lowly Norwich.
They are also still in the running for the last 16 of the Champions League and the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Tuchel will use those targets to keep his players focused in the midst of the chaos, but he admits he is worried they will be distracted before the Norwich game.
“It would be a lie if I said otherwise.”
“We produced a lot of results and good performances in difficult circumstances, so we can trust in our mentality and the culture in the club.” We allowed ourselves to concentrate on football.”
