World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

ChampionsLeaguewinnerandsecondintheWorldSoccerManagervote

THOMAS TUCHEL

orussiaDortmundchief
executiveHans-Joachim
WatzkeandParisSaint-
GermaindirectorofsportLeonardo
wouldnothaveparticularlyenjoyed
seeingChelseabossThomasTuchel
makeaninstantly impressiveimpactat
StamfordBridgeinthesecondhalfof
lastseason,steeringhis newsideto
ChampionsLeagueglory thanksto
splendidvictoriesover AtleticoMadrid,
Porto,RealMadridandManchesterCity.
WhileinchargeofDortmund(20 1 5- 18 )
andPSG( 2018 -20),Tuchelspectacularly
felloutwithbothWatzkeandLeonardo,
thusleavinghimselfripefor thesack.
Now,however, thebootisontheother
foot, withtheBavarian-borncoach
firmlyensconcedatthepinnacleofthe
Europeangame.Notbadfor someone
whomthePSGhighcommandjettisoned
onChristmas Eve 2020 – amerefour
monthsafter leadingtheParisianstothe
silvermedalintheChampionsLeague

• andwhooftenwaslambastedinthe
  Frenchmediafor notgivingtheParc
  desPrincesoutfitarecognisableplaying
  identityandfor notkeepingatightrein
  onstarnamesKylianMbappeandNeymar.
  WhatTuchelachievedat Chelseain
  justafewmonthslasttermcanonly
  becategorisedasphenomenal.Under
  previousChelseabossFrankLampard,the
  Blueshadbeenlabouringbadly, sloppy
  tactically,demotivatedanddisunited.All
  thiswouldchangedramaticallywiththe
  perfectionistTuchelonthecase.Herewas
  amasterclassinrightinganapparently
  sinkingship.Everycallaroaringsuccess:
  considerablyuppingtheorganisationand
  intensitylevels,rebuildingconfidenceand
  especially transformingtheback-lineinto
  themostimpenetrableofunits.
  The 48 -year-oldisadetailsman
  andtheChelseaproshaveclearly
  respondedtothatstronghandon
  thetiller. Tremendouslycompetent

aswellasvisionary, hewasjustwhat

Chelsearequired.

Tuchel’s reputationasthespiky,

obsessivecontrol freakhascausedhim

problemsinthepast.But certainlynot

withChelsea,whereeveryoneswearsby

hispowerstomobiliseagroup,prepare

animmaculategameplanandcreatea

winningculture.WorkinginthePremier

Leagueverymuchappearstohave

broughtoutthebest inhim.“I havethe

feelingthatat themoment,I’minthe

perfectenvironment,” hetoldGerman

sportmagazineKickerinAugust. “The

trainingmentalityoftheplayers[in

England], theirdedicationtothe

basics,warms my heartandmakes

every dayagoodone.”

Strangeas it mayseemforasuch

atalentedteambuilderandstrategist,

Tuchelhas,upuntilquiterecently, proved

somethingofalove-hatefigure,either

ratedas extraordinarilybrilliantinhis

methodsortotally overrated.The

wayhehitthegroundrunninginwest

Londonshouldnodoubthelptobring

inaswatheof freshconverts.“People

absolutelydidnotknowwhatagreat

manandcommunicatorThomasTuchel

is,” sayslegendary formerDortmundand

BayernMunichbossOttmarHitzfeld.“In

thecareer of acoach,therearehighs

andlows.Butattheendoftheday, the

pendulumalwaysendsupstrikingon

thesideofthosewhodeserveit.”

NickBidwell

Taste of success...

Tuchelkisses

theChampions

Leaguetrophy

B

M A N A G E

R

PEOPLEOFTHEYEAR

LIONELSCALONI

JorgeSampaoli’s former

assistanttookchargeof

Argentinaafter theRussia

World Cup. In thesummer,

heendedhiscountry’s

28-yearwaitfora senior

trophy by winning the

CopaAmerica.

KJETILKNUTSEN

Winning theNorwegian

league in 2 020 was not

enoughfortheBodo/

Glimtboss;in 202 1,the

journeyhascontinued

withanothertitlebidand

a Europeancampaign,

notably beatingRoma 6 -1.

CHRISTOPHEGALTIER

AsLillecoach, Galtierdefied

alltheodds by beating

ParisSaint-Germaintothe

Ligue1 titlebeforeleaving

theclubinthesummerto

joinNice, whoareflying

highandcompetingfor a

ChampionsLeaguespot.

H O N OU R A BL EM EN T I ON S