Pulisic slams ex-boss Tuchel for Champions League deception
FT Desk
- 20 Sept 2022 20:45 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea star Christian Pulisic has turned on Thomas Tuchel for apparently misleading him during a crunch Champions League match.
Tuchel, who delivered European glory to Stamford Bridge back in 2020-21, was relieved of his duties at Stamford Bridge in September following a poor start to the current season.
Defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group clash proved the final straw for the German, who reportedly oversaw a breakdown in relations with several key players prior to his dismissal.
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One of those was Pulisic, who has revealed that he was shocked to have been dropped for Chelsea's 2020-21 semi-final decider against Real Madrid after being told by Tuchel he would start.
"What happened before that game was hugely disappointing for me. l’d had a really good first leg performance and our following match was against Fulham in the league," the USMNT international stated in his new book, My Journey So Far.
"Tuchel told me that he was resting me for the second leg and as a result I didn’t play a single minute in the Fulham game.
"Then on match day of the second semi, Tuchel tells me he’s changed his mind and he’s going with Kai [Havertz].
"I honestly was dumbfounded and very disappointed. I thought that I’d earned a start and, most importantly, he had assured me previously I was going to start.
"So by the time he brought me on with about 25 minutes left, I was just so wound up."
More chances under Potter?
Despite their prior relationship at Borussia Dortmund, Tuchel was often reluctant to give Pulisic an extended run in the first team.
The playmaker was left on the bench for all of Chelsea's opening six Premier League matches, making his first start of the season in September during a 2-1 victory over West Ham.
The German's successor Graham Potter, meanwhile, has had limited opportunity to reveal his plans for Pulisic as Queen Elizabeth II's passing has led to both of Chelsea's last two league matches being postponed.
His only game to date in charge saw the American enter as a late sub as the Blues were held by Red Bull Salzburg to continue their European struggles.
