The Blues boss saw his footwear play a prominent role in the dressing room antics that accompanied a memorable European triumph
Thomas Tuchel has revealed why his trainers figured prominently in celebrations after Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League final.
The Blues headed back to their dressing room on the back of a memorable European triumph to revel in their success away from prying eyes.
When Tuchel joined the party, with champagne bottle in hand, events took a bizarre turn as his footwear became the centre of attention.
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What happened?
Olivier Giroud, Antonio Rudiger and Kurt Zouma were quick to get involved with Tuchel’s trainers when their manager arrived for the post-match celebrations.
The German’s footwear was doused in champagne as it suddenly became central to a party that should have been focused on a famous piece of continental silverware.
What has been said?
Explaining the surprising scenes to Chelsea’s official website , former Paris Saint-Germain boss Tuchel has said: “I had these exact trainers in Paris and I made a promise that we will wear these shoes when we reach the Champions League final.
“They were a present from the president at PSG and I promised my staff I would wear them in the final.
“I did not wear them that day, and we lost [to Bayern Munich]. I made sure I wore them this year and they worked!”
The bigger picture
Tuchel was prevented from wearing his lucky trainers in a 2020 showpiece as he suffered a sprained ankle and broken metatarsal in the build-up to the game , forcing him to don a protective boot.
History was made, though, in the campaign just gone as he became the first man to make back-to-back Champions League finals with different clubs.
He also got his hands on the ultimate prize, with a solitary strike from Kai Havertz proving to be enough for Chelsea as they edged out Premier League rivals in Porto.
Further reading
- Tuchel makes contract promise to Abramovich
- Zola explains why Mount is ‘a complete player’
- Hazard addresses Real future amid Chelsea return talk
