By Greg Vega 
“Professionally, I had a Christmas, but I think I got the best gift ever.” Thomas Thuchel is not bitter. This is not the first taste that comes to your mouth when you are on the roof of Europe. The Chelsea manager is surprised at first and has been almost intoxicated by his path in recent months.
At Dragon Stadium in Porto, the German gave a tactical lesson to Spinard Pep Cardiola and his Manchester City (1-0) in the Champions League final. The day before last New Year’s celebration, he was busy emptying his PSG training desk.
His success was even the defeat of Cardiola. Catalan may be a meeting between a philosopher of the game and a tactical genius, but sometimes the knots in his brain happen to him, wanting to control everything, expect everything, and change everything at the last moment.
After a three-way defense during the elimination against Lyon in the quarterfinals in August 2020, this time he imagined a team without a real number six, who often wants to lose himself to a central forward. Why? The person involved did not know this after the match, or thought the moment was not yet in Mee-Gulpa. “Are you upset? I don’t know the decisions I made, that’s all”, At a press conference he sighs without finishing his sentence.
Like Tottenham in 2019 and Touchlin’s PSG in 2020, Manchester City were relegated to the first Champions League final in defiance of their favorite status. Evidence that C1 is the toughest type with new competitors.
Chelsea had a horrific experience in 2008, when they dropped midfielder Roberto Di Matteo on the bench against Bayern Munich before an unexpected revenge four years after the end of a Manchester United penalty shoot-out. England champions 19 points ahead of their evening opponents (4)e), Citizens started favorites, but they missed the event.
Having 14,110 spectators at Dragon Stadium enlivened the final, but especially for the blues, which was animated by a new collective force.
Thuchel “changed the mood of the team”
Since the arrival of Touchel at the end of January, Chelsea have replaced Frank Lampard as a powerful machine for intelligent defense and good resistance. The former Dortmund has calmed his interest in tactical DIY by moving from Paris to London. The first period is a perfect example. “I asked everyone to raise the level of their game. They have to be brave when they have the ball.” Said Thomas Tuchell.
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