Thiago Silva has finally reacted to the sacking of with a heartfelt message saying he wished he ‘could have done more’ to keep the German in the job.
Tuchel was sacked as manager on Wednesday morning following the team’s 1-0 loss away to Dinamo Zagreb in the the previous night.
Although Chelsea had endured an indifferent start to the season, off-the-pitch issues and a breakdown in Tuchel’s relationship with the club’s new owners are believed to have been the key reasons behind his dismissal.
There were suggestions that the 49-year-old had also lost some of the faith of his players, but he has been inundated with messages of thanks on social media since leaving Stamford Bridge.
Silva – who played under Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain as well as Chelsea – was one of the last players to pay tribute to the German and appeared to be genuinely upset by his manager’s exit.
‘Beyond being good professionals, you and your staff were amazing human beings,’ wrote the veteran defender on Instagram.
‘It was a real privilege to meet you and work with you. Thank you for everything Thomas Tuchel, I’m sorry I could not be more helpful! God bless you and your family.’
The likes of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and skipper Cesar Azpilicueta have all thanked Tuchel, while Mateo Kovacic wrote: ‘It was a pleasure to learn and work with you and your staff. Thank you, boss.’
Just over 24 hours after Tuchel was dismissed, Chelsea already had his replacement secured with Graham Potter announced as the club’s new manager on Thursday afternoon.
With German coaches Zsolt Low and Arno Michels also having left with Tuchel, Potter has brought several of his Brighton coaching staff with him to Stamford Bridge.
Assistant Billy Reid, first-team coaches Bjorn Hamberg and Bruno, goalkeeping coach Ben Roberts and assistant head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay have all joined Chelsea too.
Speaking about his move, Potter said: ‘I am incredibly proud and excited to represent Chelsea FC, this fantastic football club. I am very excited to partner with Chelsea’s new ownership group and look forward to meeting and working with the exciting group of players and to develop a team and culture that our amazing fans can be proud of.
‘I would also like to place my sincere thanks to Brighton & Hove Albion for allowing me this opportunity and in particular Tony Bloom and all the players, staff and supporters for their continued support during my time at the club.’
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