Thomas Tuchel still feels bad over Frank Lampard's Chelsea axe despite clear conscience

dailystar.co.uk:

Frank Lampard in the Chelsea hot-seat.Not that he has any reason to, having played no part in the Blues’ decision to sack their club legend back in January 2021.

Yet, as he prepares to take his FA Cup finalists to face Lampard’s relegation-threatened Everton, Tuchel admits he wishes it had worked out better for his predecessor.The German loves it when a former playing great assumes the managerial reigns at the club where he made his name on the pitch.

Just as Chelsea’s all-time record goalscorer Lampard did for 18 months before ruthlessly shown the door by Roman Abramovich.And on the eve of their first managerial showdown, Tuchel revealed how the ex-England ace made a potentially a tricky situation at the time of his appointment that much easier with a dignified ‘good luck’ text.Asked if it will be surreal facing such a decorated Chelsea icon, the Stamford Bridge supremo said: “A little, yes.

I still don’t feel 100 per cent comfortable because I took over from him in the middle of the year.“We had a quick chat then because he was a real gentleman and sent me a long message after I took over.“I replied to him, I knew that the decision was done and that I did not have anything to do with pushing him out because I was happy to see a legend like this on the sideline of his club.“I think this is a very nice story and a story football needs - like Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and now Xavi at Barcelona.