Yahoo Finance Frank Lampard sacked: Chelsea line up Thomas Tuchel as new manager after club legend exits
Chelsea have confirmed the sacking of manager Frank Lampard, with Thomas Tuchel being lined up to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard has been dismissed 18 months into his three-year contract as Chelsea head coach following a recent slump in form.
Tuchel, who was sacked by Paris Saint-Germain last month, is favourite to replace him and the German is expected to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard had hoped yesterday’s 3-1 win over Luton in the FA Cup would give him some time to turns things around after a poor run of two wins in eight Premier League games.
But, with Chelsea ninth in the Premier League and five points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, Abramovich has decided to act in a bid to save their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
It is thought Chelsea would prefer to appoint a German-speaking coach to replace Lampard in a desperate bid to get the best out of expensive summer signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.
Werner and Havertz have found it hard to adjust this season as Lampard has struggled, despite spending £220million on new signings last summer.
It is believed Chelsea approached former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri last month, but the Italian expects Tuchel be given the job.
Tuchel has experience of leading a dressing room full of high-profile players after his time with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at PSG.
Chelsea have been warned off him in the past because of his fall-outs with his former clubs, but he is a proven winner, with two French titles, as well as reaching the Champions League Final last season. Before he managed PSG, Tuchel spent two seasons at Borussia Dortmund, winning the German Cup in 2017.
It is understood that changes were made to Chelsea’s training schedule this morning, which initially raised concerns over Lampard’s position.
Lampard, the club’s all-time record goalscorer, was appointed in July 2019. He led Chelsea to Champions League qualification last season, despite having to deal with their FIFA-imposed transfer ban and the loss of star player Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.
Chelsea spent big last summer in a bid to re-establish themselves as a title force but a poor run raised serious doubts over Lampard’s future and has led to his exit.
There was a show of faith from fans yesterday, with the hanging of a banner at Stamford Bridge which read: “In Frank We Trust. Then. Now. Forever.” While the club approved it, it appears to have had little sway over Abramovich’s decision-making.
More to follow
