Published 15:15 IST, January 29th 2021
Chelsea boss Tuchel reveals Tottenham affection while growing up but understands rivalry
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has cleared the air over his affection for Tottenham as a child and claimed that he now understands the rivalry between the teams.
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Newly-appointed Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has reassured the Stamford Bridge faithful they will be doing everything in his power to beat Tottenham next week after having previously admitted to having a soft spot for their bitter rivals. Tuchel was named as Chelsea boss on Tuesday after club legend Frank Lampard was given the sack following a poor run of form in the league. The German, however, admitted that he did have an affection for Tottenham as he liked the 'club's name' as a child.
Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel explains his affinity for Tottenham as a kid
Ahead of Chelsea's game against Burnley on Saturday, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was asked about the accusations that he was a Tottenham fan during his younger days. Back in 2016, Tuchel's Borussia Dortmund drew against the Spurs in the last 16 of the Europa League and at the time, he spoke of his affection for the North London club while growing up in the Bavarian town of Krumbach.
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In a bid to revise his opinion of Chelsea's old enemy, Tuchel explained, "I heard the name Tottenham Hotspur, which sounded like a big adventure and gave me a big advantage playing with my friends because they had no idea where that club was. I talked about that story with some of my friends as well.”
🗣 "I heard Tottenham Hotspurs which sounded like a big adventure. I didn't even know it was a club from London." 🤣
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) January 28, 2021
Thomas Tuchel admits he was a Tottenham fan when he was younger pic.twitter.com/wcsA5tXGeX
However, the 47-year-old went on to state that he didn't even have a clue where Spurs were located or if they were a London-based club, but is now aware of the local rivalry they share with the Blues. "That was one of my first experiences. I didn’t even know it’s a club from London. But now I’m absolutely aware I work for their big rivals and you can be very, very sure we will do everything we can to beat them next week.”, Tuchel added.
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It's been a whirlwind few days for the German since his appointment as Chelsea boss on Tuesday. He guided Chelsea to a goalless draw in his first game as manager and will scarcely have a chance to catch his breath with games against Burnley and Tottenham fast approaching. Chelsea are currently at the 8th place on the Premier League table, seven points behind Liverpool, who are at 4th place.
Image Credits - Chelsea Twitter
15:15 IST, January 29th 2021