Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 10:38• Mart Oude Nijeweeme • Last update: 10:41

New details have come out about Thomas Tuchel’s sacking from Chelsea in September last year. The 49-year-old German was fired by the English top club after a series of disappointing results. The new owner Todd Boehly said in a statement on the website that he had ‘found the right time for this transition’, but that does not appear to be the true reason behind the congé, reports BILD.

Tuchel’s resignation came as a surprise to many in September last year. Chelsea’s new ownership group, led by wealthy American Boehly, is said to have forced the break after friction in the professional working relationship. The German boulevard newspaper BILD however claims that Tuchel’s former partner, Sissi, has revealed the true reason behind the firing. That reason can be read back in an email that is part of a lawsuit in Munich after the breakdown of the marriage of the two.

Sissi, a former journalist from the South German Zeitung, is said to have stated that there was a ‘total lack of respect’ for Tuchel from within the squad amid a string of poor results. Tuchel was eventually sacked after a 1–0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. Before that, he and his team had already lost to Leeds United and Southampton. A number of ‘mysterious things off the field’ would also have played a role in separating the ways.

Tuchel won 60 of his 100 games as Chelsea manager, including the Champions League final against Manchester City in 2021. He has been without an employer since leaving the London powerhouse. French media claim he is in line to take over from Christophe Galtier at Paris-Saint Germain. His name has also fallen at Tottenham Hotspur as a possible successor to Antonio Conte. The latter’s contract expires this summer in North London.