"100% it was a mistake" - Former Liverpool star Jose Enrique claims Chelsea made a massive error by sacking Thomas Tuchel
Former Liverpool left-back Jose Enrique took to Twitter yesterday (April 1) to voice his opinion on Chelsea's sacking of Thomas Tuchel. He claimed it was a mistake from the start as the German manager had won trophies for the Blues, unlike current manager Graham Potter.
Enrique, who made 99 appearances for Liverpool during his five-year stint at Anfield, made his comments following Chelsea's 2-0 loss to Aston Villa in the Premier League last night. In addition to the Blues' loss, Thomas Tuchel won his first game in charge of Bayern Munich, thumping rivals Borussia Dortmund 4-2.
"100% it was a mistake but we knew that from the start. You take a world class manager for a non experience in top team manager. It could have work but tuchel is won trophies with Chelsea why you sack him?" Enrique tweeted.
Thomas Tuchel joined the Blues on January 26, 2021, replacing Frank Lampard as manager after the former was dismissed by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in December. Over the next two years, he developed an impressive resume at Stamford Bridge, winning three trophies, including the UEFA Champions League in his debut season.
After Chelsea was acquired by Todd Boehly and his entourage, tensions started to rise between the two parties. After a poor run of form earlier this season, Tuchel was fired on September 7, 2022, and was replaced by former Brighton manager Graham Potter.
The Blues have struggled for consistency under Potter. Their 2-0 loss to Aston Villa ensured they remained in 11th place, on just 38 points.
Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel's first win in charge of Bayern Munich ensured the reigning champions opened up a two-point lead over Dortmund at the top of the table.
Only time will tell if Potter turns out to be a success or not. However, currently, it would be hard to disagree with Enrique's comments.
Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel says Chelsea sacking 'still hurts' to this day
Before Der Klassiker this weekend, Thomas Tuchel commented on his sacking by Chelsea. The German manager claimed the manner and timing of his sacking left him shocked and that it still hurts him.
He spoke to the media during a pre-match press conference (via BBC):
"It was a shock. I felt it, strangely, when I drove to the training centre. The meeting we had felt unusual - it turned out to be very short. It lasted three to five minutes."
He added:
"The decision had been made and, honestly, it was a shock for all of us. I was also not in the mood to talk longer. We had a feeling that we were in the right spot at the right time. We felt that we could achieve big things and we wanted to stay longer - it was as simple as that. It still hurts in a way."
Tuchel brought three trophies to Stamford Bridge and had the fourth-best win percentage (60%) of any manager in the club's history. He was in charge for 100 games, winning 60, drawing 24, and losing just 16.