"Now is the time" - Thomas Tuchel outlines trophy aim as Chelsea near Champions League semi-finals

Thomas Tuchel has outlined his aims to win silverware as Chelsea manager and intends on starting his haul as soon as possible.

The Blues find themselves in a race to finish among the Premier League's top four clubs after a disappointing start to the campaign under Frank Lampard. However, Tuchel has reinvigorated the squad and they are still vying to claim two trophies before the end of May.

Chelsea face Premier League leaders Manchester City in an enticing FA Cup semi-final clash at Wembley on Saturday. But first, the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium will once again play host to their Champions League quarter-final tie against Porto.

Chelsea boast a healthy 2-0 lead heading into Tuesday's second leg - deemed the home leg - against the Portuguese giants. Speaking ahead of the clash, Tuchel explained it is in the club's culture to lift silverware.

“We are in the second leg of the quarter-final of the Champions League, you will not find any team who does not have the goal to reach the semi-final. We are in the semi-final of the FA Cup and have the chance to arrive in the final, if we arrive in the final then we have the chance to win. There is nothing to hide. This is a club that has a culture, a structure, to win titles and win games consecutively. Chelsea is the club that has the culture and the history and mentality to do so," said the Chelsea manager.

Tuchel continued by stating that he arrived at Stamford Bridge to win trophies and has insisted that now is the time to start doing so.

“I am here to win titles, I am here to win games and as a result, win titles. This is what I demand of myself so why should we now say anything different? If you want to win in five years or three years, I don’t know what that is. Now is the time, but, honestly, we can talk for hours and hours, but tomorrow is the game to play and there is no tougher match than the next game, there is no tougher obstacle than the one in front of you and we should not get lost in dreams, hopes and speeches or whatever,” said Thomas Tuchel. (H/T Evening Standard)

Chelsea have consistently lifted silverware over the years

Despite lifting just two Premier League titles over the last 10 seasons, Chelsea have continued to win trophies in an array of competitions.

Last season ended trophyless, but the previous campaign saw the Blues secure Europa League success by thumping Arsenal 4-1 in the final in Baku.

2017/18 saw Chelsea lift their eighth FA Cup with a 1-0 triumph over Manchester United, and 2016/17 was the club's latest league-winning campaign.

The West Londoners haven't gone two seasons without silverware since 2003, so Tuchel has a big test to re-install that infectious winning mentality.