Thomas Tuchel dismissed Spanish conspiracy theories that the officials could be biased against Real Madrid in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final because they were the ringleaders of the failed European Super League.
Real president Florentino Perez was due to assume the same role in the breakaway competition and while Chelsea were quick to withdraw from it, the most decorated club in Europe have yet to do so.
Dutch referee Danny Makkelie will officiate Chelsea’s first Champions League semi-final since 2014 and Tuchel was keen to stress that the extraordinary events off the pitch will not influence his decision-making.
He said: “I don't even want to think about it, because it does not exist in my eyes. I trust 100 per cent in the referee and in Uefa and in the competition and I trust 100 per cent that the referee will try to whistle the best match possible. I do not imagine that there is any advantage or disadvantage because of a sports political discussion."
But while much of the criticism of the Super League was that it would be a closed shop, Tuchel underlined that Chelsea have earned their place in the last four.
“We deserve to be in the semi-final like Real deserve to be,” he added. “We don’t deserve because of political decisions or influence or size or a nice shirt, it is because we came a long way. All teams have fought their way through on results. If problems exist on a sports political level, they deserve to be solved on this level.”
Chelsea supporters were vocal in their protests about the Super League but Tuchel urged them to get behind his players. He said: “Put your anger to the decision, put your anger to the way it was presented – which is absolutely fine for me – but don’t take it out on the team, never doubt the love that all people at Cobham have for this game and you will see all the passion on the pitch. We all dream of playing these matches when we were kids. We want to play hungry and we want to play adventurous.”
Tuchel joined Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola in criticising the proposed expansion to the Champions League, which will see clubs play 10 group matches, as he is concerned about player workload and a lack of consultation.
“I am not happy about this format, not at all,” he added. “I can only see more games and more games in the schedule we have it is very hard for me to be excited. Did they ask any coach? I don’t think so. Did they ask any players? I don’t think so.”
A manager who likes the competition as it is has reached the last four for a second successive season with different clubs after taking Paris Saint-Germain to the 2020 final.
Tuchel has progressed further than he ever thought possible, saying: “When I started in academy football every day was a gift and I enjoyed with my Under-14s in Stuttgart and later it was Under-15s and then the Under-19s. I could never imagine a manager in Bundesliga has the guts to let me coach a first-division team because that is very unusual without having played a game at the highest level.”
He used his managerial experience to urge Chelsea not to change. “The level is so high when you arrive at a Champions League semi-final,” he said. “But we should not expect crazy things from us, but the same again on the highest level. The strategy is to be ourselves. I truly believe that we showed against Tottenham, Liverpool and Atletico and Porto that we are capable of consistently producing high-level football.”
Chelsea, who will be without the former Real midfielder Mateo Kovacic, could face one of the greatest players in their history. Eden Hazard has only scored four goals in an injury-hit spell at Real but made his comeback as a substitute in Saturday’s draw at Real Betis.
“He was an incredible player at this football club,” said Christian Pulisic, who was signed to replace the Belgian. “I definitely looked up to him though I am not comparing myself to him in any way or trying to be like him.”
