Thomas Tuchel doesn’t want an apology from Roman Abramovich over Super League plot

Thomas Tuchel has insisted he doesn’t want nor is there any need for anyone at Chelsea to apologise to him over the club’s involvement in the now collapsed European Super League plan.

Chelsea were one of a dozen leading European clubs to sign up to the breakaway competition they hoped would rival Uefa’s Champions League.

But after furious fan reaction, including thousands of Blues supporters protesting outside of Stamford Bridge ahead of Tuesday’s Premier League game with Brighton, the club opted to walk away from the proposal.

Boss Tuchel admitted it had been a trying week, but doesn’t feel the need for anyone at the club - owner Roman Abramovich included - to say anything to him about the now failed venture.

“Yes it has been distracting, but it’s the owner’s club, it’s not my club,” said Tuchel on Friday afternoon. “I’m part of the club, but it’s the owner and the club’s decision, and now they change that decision.

“There’s no need to apologise to me directly, my job is to adapt to the circumstances. And were we distracted? Yeah clearly.

“Me personally I arrived in a state of mind on Tuesday at the stadium that was clearly not the mindset that I normally arrive in, for a match. But that’s already in the past, and like I said, I don’t think they need to apologise to me.”

Tuchel also revealed he believes the ‘Big Six’ clubs will be able to rebuild any eroded trust with their supporters.

The German boss pointed to Abramovich’s transformation of the Stamford Bridge club, and continued work in the west London community, in defending Chelsea’s situation.

Asked if that bridge-building work will be difficult, Tuchel added: “No. Because I think that the people and the fans know very, very well that it’s also the credit from the owners who improve their clubs, build strong clubs and make the most competitive league in the world.

“So I think they appreciate that very, very well. And people can read very clearly also and can divide one thing from another, and they express their opinion on this decision. They were absolutely not happy, the fans obviously.

“But I don’t think it affects in general the opinion of what, for example, our owner of this club does for the community, does for the academy, for the women’s team and for the first team.”

Additional reporting by PA

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