Four months ago, with the dressing room split and former boss Frank Lampard set to be sacked, reaching the top four, an FA Cup final and a Champions League final would have seemed fanciful at best. Arriving at Chelsea halfway through the season has also allowed the 47-year-old to concentrate solely on coaching, in the process becoming the first manager to reach successive Champions League finals with two different clubs. Tuchel's communication skills and fresh approach to training have taken Chelsea to the brink of a second Champions League title. Defeat by Manchester City in Saturday's Champions League final, would make it the first time Chelsea have been trophy-less in successive seasons since Abramovich took over the club in 2003. "It was a really difficult task for Tuchel," says former Blues defender Frank Sinclair, who is now a coaching consultant.

Source: BBC May 28, 2021 05:26 UTC