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Former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has stated that he was astounded by former Blues manager Thomas Tuchel's sacking. The German centre-back has opened up about his fellow countryman's dismissal in an interview with SPORT1.
He said (via SPORT1 reporter Kerry Hau):
"I was surprised, it was a sad day for me. When you look at where we came from and where he took us: He made the impossible possible. But that's football, you know how it works."
Tuchel was appointed as Chelsea manager in January 2021 after the Blues hierarchy let go of Frank Lampard.
The German tactician recorded 60 wins managing the west London outfit in all competitions.
He was sacked after his 100th game in charge against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League on September 6. It ended in a 1-0 defeat for the Blues, which many speculated to be a pivotal factor in co-owner Todd Boehly's decision to sack Tuchel.
However, Boehly has discredited these rumors, claiming that the decision wasn't made over a specific win or loss. The American businessman spoke about Tuchel's sacking at the SALT conference in New York last week. He said (via Football.London):
"The reality of our decision was that we weren't sure that Thomas saw it the same way we saw it. No one is right or wrong, we just didn't have a shared vision for the future. It wasn't about Zagreb, it was about the shared vision for what we wanted Chelsea to look like."
Boehly added:
"It wasn't a decision that was made because of a single win or loss. It was a decision that we thought was the right vision for the club."
Chelsea appointed Graham Potter following the sacking of Tuchel.
The Englishman managed his first game in charge of the Blues against Red Bull Salzburg in the UEFA Champions League on September 15. The fixture ended in a 1-1 draw, an unfavorable start to Potter's career at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea will next face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on October 1 in the Premier League.
Antonio Rudiger's prior plea to change sacking culture at Chelsea
The Real Madrid centre-half previously implored his former outfit's hierarchy to change the brutal culture of sacking managers prevalent at the club.
Rudiger urged the Blues to retain Thomas Tuchel as head coach, praising the tactician's abilities. Speaking to The Times in May, he said (via Football.London):
"I hope for this club that the mentality changes of sacking coaches so early when success is not there. I like to trust the process and, with this coach, you can see there is a process."
He added:
"Chelsea can be very proud to have a coach like this, the way he [Tuchel] handled himself. The way he handled things in those tough moments, you have to give him kudos for that, you have to give him credit for that."
Rudiger spent five successful seasons at Chelsea before his contract expired earlier this summer. He then secured a free transfer to Real Madrid and has played nine matches so far. The German made 203 appearances for the Blues, recording 12 goals and seven assists.
