Mainz director blasts Chelsea over Tuchel sack

Mainz sporting director Christian Heidel is furious with Chelsea for sacking Thomas Tuchel and claims the owners have “no idea about football”.

The Blues made the announcement on Wednesday morning that the German had been sacked after losing 1-0 to Dinamo Zagreb the night before in the Champions League.

Chelsea wasted no time in replacing Tuchel with Brighton boss Graham Potter installed as his successor the next day after agreeing a huge compensation package with the Seagulls.

A report in the aftermath of Tuchel’s exit pointed to the relationship between the former Borussia Dortmund boss and Todd Boehly, and not results, as the reason for his sacking.

Boehly wanted Tuchel to be more involved in transfer matters than in previous years but the Chelsea owner and the German did not see eye to eye on a number of targets, leading the board to conclude that Tuchel was ‘perhaps better suited to the more detached management style of the past regime’.

And now Mainz sporting director Hiedel who worked with Tuchel at the German club has criticised the Chelsea owners for getting rid of Tuchel and insisted they will “bitterly regret this decision”.

“With Thomas it came out of the blue,” Hiedel told BILD.

“The sacking is grist to the mill of those who are against investors in football. It was purely an investor’s decision.

“Someone who has no idea about football probably thought that sixth place wasn’t good enough for him and said: ‘Then let’s try another coach.’

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“After only six games, I can’t think of any other reason. But Chelsea will bitterly regret this decision – they won’t get such a good coach again so quickly.”

Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, who is still out of work after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, was understood to be one manager in Boehly’s thoughts when considering who would be available to replace Tuchel.