Thomas Tuchel makes dressing room admission after Chelsea secured top four spot

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Chelsea boss was so pleased with it he even demanded his club signed the groundsman who laid and tended it!Tuchel leads the Blues into Saturday's Champions League final showdown with Manchester City with no worries about the playing surface in Porto.But close friend Christian Heidel, who gave Tuchel his big break in football, says such an obsessive nature is the secret to his success.Heidel is CEO of German minnows Mainz and promoted Tuchel from youth coach to first team manager there in 2009.He told Daily Star Sport: “We were once on a training camp in Austria for a friendly and Thomas was looking really closely at the grass.“He was lying on the ground, measuring the height, sniffing… And he was so thrilled with this pitch he wanted me to

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Chelsea are reportedly considering slashing Tammy Abraham's asking price by 25 per cent in order to cash in on the striker this summer.Abraham has fallen behind Timo Werner and Olivier Giroud in the pecking order up front, with Kai Havertz also filling in at times as the solo striker.The Blues academy graduate has made just 22 Premier League appearances, a steep drop on the 34 he made last year, while his goals have fallen from 15 to just six this term.There is talk of Thomas Tuchel bringing in another striker this summer with Werner still not at full speed, while Giroud is set to leave the club when his contract expires in June.The Telegraph reported last month that Chelsea would be willing to see the back of Abraham for £40m.But claims

Chelsea will now turn their attention to this weekend's Champions League final against Manchester City after clinging onto a place in the Premier League top four by the skin of their teeth.The Blues went away to Aston Villa on Sunday knowing a win would guarantee them Champions League qualification for next season, yet they instead slumped to a 2-1 defeat in the West Midlands.Fortunately for Thomas Tuchel, his blushes were spared on the day by the club's most bitter rivals, as Tottenham picking up a 4-2 win away at Leicester just about kept them in the top four.Spurs' victory comes as a huge relief for Chelsea ahead of the Champions League final on Saturday night, as it means they do not have to beat City to qualify for the competition in

It may not have been how Thomas Tuchel expected to finish the season, but Chelsea have at least secured Champions League football again ahead of the upcoming final.

Edouard Mendy after the goalkeeper was forced off at half-time in Chelsea’s 2-1 final day defeat to Aston Villa.Mendy did not return for the second half at Villa Park after colliding with the post while attempting to deny Bertrand Traore’s opener for the hosts. Kepa Arrizabalaga replaced Mendy at half-time, leading to speculation that the Spaniard could start next weekend’s Champions League final against Man City.

Chelsea clung onto a place in the top four on the final day of the Premier League season by the skin of their teeth despite suffering a 2-1 defeat away at Aston Villa.The Blues went into Sunday's crunch outing at Villa Park up in third place, with Liverpool and Leicester only a point behind in fourth and fifth respectively.Thomas Tuchel's men knew a win would guarantee them Champions League qualification regardless of their opponents' fixtures against Crystal Palace and Tottenham, but goals from former player Bertrand Traore and Anwar El Ghazi earned Villa a shock victory and deemed Ben Chilwell's strike nothing but a consolation.Fortunately for Chelsea, though, Leicester slumped to a 3-2 defeat at home to Spurs, sparing their blushes and

Thomas Tuchel has enjoyed a stellar start to life in West London, guiding Chelsea to two cup finals, some achievement considering they languished in tenth when he arrived.

Chelsea travel Aston Villa in their final game of the Premier League campaign, with Thomas Tuchel 's side hoping to secure a top four finish. The Blues are currently third, having beaten Leicester 2-1 in their previous game, but just one point separates them from both Liverpool and the Foxes.

Chelsea could be hit with a points deduction for the team's part in a brawl with Leicester City players - and it may have a detrimental effect on their season.

Thomas Tuchel's work with Chelsea in his brief tenure will serve him well going into the summer transfer window.

Thomas Tuchel is likely to undergo a squad revamp at Chelsea this summer, with several players facing uncertain futures at Stamford Bridge.Reports suggest Roman Abramovich is prepared to hand Tuchel a transfer warchest this summer after being impressed by his first half-season at the helm, which has seen him guide the Blues to the FA Cup and Champions League finals.Nevertheless, while a number of potential recruits are likely to come in, there are also players who will inevitably have to be shown the door.So we've drawn up a list of 10 current Chelsea stars who could be offloaded in the summer to make way for new signings.Michy BatshuayiIt's been a difficult season for Batshuayi out on loan at Crystal Palace, scoring just two goals in 20

Chelsea’s current crop to be challenging for Europe’s biggest prize for years to come.Young enough, talented enough and growing in experience every week are the reasons why the legendary Blues keeper reckons Thomas Tuchel’s class of 2021 can dominate the Champions League.The Londoners are through to their first final since winning the trophy in 2012 as they face Premier League champions Manchester City in Porto next Saturday.And Cech, who starred in that victory over Bayern Munich nine years ago, predicts a bright future for Mason Moon and Co against Europe’s elite.The former Czech ace, now technical/performance advisor at Stamford Bridge, declared: “If you look we have a really balanced team with experienced players, mid generation and

Julian Nagelsmann reckons Timo Werner will come good for Chelsea and they just need to be patient with his former player.

Thomas Tuchel couldn't help but show a wry smile when he was asked about signing Harry Kane this summer.

Chelsea are preparing their bid for Harry Kane, who has signalled his desire to leave Tottenham this summer.

Champions League final were thrown into doubt following a recent injury scare, but Thomas Tuchel has offered a boost regarding his fitness.The France international was withdrawn after 32 minutes during Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Leicester on Tuesday, having complained of tightness in his hamstrings.That led to fears Kante, 30, wouldn’t be ready to face Manchester City in Porto on May 29, but Tuchel has allayed concerns after saying his star will return to training soon.Chelsea travel to Aston Villa in their final Premier League fixture of the season on Sunday, and Tuchel told reporters: “With N’Golo Kante it's going to be very close but there are some hopes he joins team training tomorrow (Saturday).“If not, he'll join on Monday.”The Blues sit

Billy Gilmour revealed one of his Chelsea team-mates has promised him a kicking before potentially meeting at this summer's Euros. The former Rangers kid has come on leaps and bounds in the last two seasons, filling in for one of manager Thomas Tuchel's most trusted midfielders in Mateo Kovacic.

Thomas Tuchel is likely to strengthen his squad with reinforcements at Chelsea this summer - but he also has a host of loanees returning to the club.Reports suggest Roman Abramovich is prepared to hand Tuchel a hefty transfer warchest after being impressed with his first half-season at the helm, which has seen him guide the Blues to the FA Cup and Champions League finals.It is believed he has set his sights on a new centre-forward, with Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski emerging as a target, while a new central midfielder could also be required.However, Chelsea also have nine loan stars who will hope to return and play a part at Stamford Bridge next season - meaning Tuchel has some big decisions to make.Michy BatshuayiThe Belgian has spent

Chelsea are one of the teams in the mix for Tottenham megastar Harry Kane's signature this summer.The Blues are eager to sign a new striker, and Kane's transfer request has put them on high alert.Thomas Tuchel wants a new centre-forward brought in, with the England captain a potential target. Kane would likely cost upwards of £120million, but Chelsea are one of the few teams who would be able to afford his salary and allow him to remain in London.However, in order to sign him, Chelsea and Tottenham will have to put their rivalry aside in order to create a deal.