Thomas Tuchel

Germany’s Thomas Tuchel is in talks with Premier League side Chelsea over extending his contract at Stamford Bridge. Photo: AFP

Thomas Tuchel shares his hopes for new Chelsea owner

Thomas Tuchel hopes the quick sale of the European champions will provide clarity on the future for employees and fans of the club.

Thomas Tuchel

Germany’s Thomas Tuchel is in talks with Premier League side Chelsea over extending his contract at Stamford Bridge. Photo: AFP

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel hopes the quick sale of the European champions will provide clarity on the future for employees and fans of the club.

Final bids for the club, which has been seized as part of government sanctions against former Russian Oligarch and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, must be submitted on Friday.

Chelsea running low on cash

Chelsea were granted a special licence to continue operating. However, with revenue from their income streams frozen, the club risks running out of cash to meet their expenses, including a £28 million ($36.7 million) monthly wage bill, unless control is passed to a new owner.

“We hope we find a new owner soon because this will calm the situation down,” Thomas Tuchel said. 

“This will give us clarity and clarity is always good.

“As I understand we can trust this is solved quicker than usual.”

A gaggle of bidders have come forward ahead of the deadline to submit bids. New York merchant bank the Raine Group, have been appointed to oversee the sale.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has jumped aboard former Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton’s bid.

Meanwhile Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family have formed a consortium with American hedge fund boss Ken Griffin. British property tycoon Nick Candy is also fronting a bid which has been backed by Chelsea hero Gianluca Vialli.

The bidders are a whose who of elite sports franchise ownership with LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss also emerging as genuine contenders and remain front runners to win the bidding.

During Abramovich’s 19 years in charge, Chelsea have won 19 major trophies including five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues.

On Friday 18 March, they were drawn against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Thomas Tuchel shares his hopes for new Chelsea owner

Tuchel hopes the new owners will have the same lust for winning as the Russian did.

Abramovich poured loans totalling £1.5 billion into making the club successful on the field. He will not be able to claim those loans back nor will the new owners be liable to pay them off.

“Hopefully they love winning, that would be a big plus,” added Thomas Tuchel on his preference for a new owner. “I still believe Chelsea will stay strong.”

Thomas Tuchel grateful for small mercies

Tuchel’s preparations for Saturday’s FA Cup match at Middlesborough have been helped by an easing of restrictions on the amount Chelsea can spend on travel. This means Chelsea will be able to fly to the northeast of England. Rather than a 10-hour round trip by bus.

Chelsea have won few friends at the Riverside Stadium. They made an audacious request for the FA Cup tie to be played behind closed doors on sporting integrity grounds. This is due to their inability to sell tickets to away fans. The request was soon withdrawn.

Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder said there is little sympathy for Chelsea’s predicament.

“It will go up for sale and it will be bought by a billionaire, who will possibly invest more money into it,” said Wilder, whose side have already eliminated Manchester United and Tottenham to get to the last eight.

“They’ll possibly invest in the stadium, invest in the facilities, so I don’t think there’s, in the football world, an incredible amount of sympathy over what’s happening.”

FA CUP