"He's a good bloke" - Gary Neville lauds Tuchel's reaction to Chelsea fans' Abramovich chants

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has praised Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel following his reaction to Blues fans chanting Roman Abramovich's name on Saturday.

During a minute's applause for solidarity with the people of Ukraine before Chelsea's 4-0 Premier League home win over Burnley, fans were heard chanting Abramovich's name. This tarnished a moment to show support for Ukrainian people amidst the Russian invasion.

Fans of the west London side are feeling insecure about the club's future, with the announcement by owner Roman Abramovich to sell the club. Nevertheless, Tuchel was scathing about the action of Chelsea fans during the minute's applause. He told reporters (via Mirror Sport):

"It was not the moment to do this."

He continued:

"Listen, if we show solidarity, we show solidarity, and we should do it together. We take the knee together, and if an important person from our club or another club unfortunately dies, we show a minute of respect. It's not the moment to give other messages. It's the moment to show respect."

Tuchel added:

"We do this because this is what we are also as a club. We show respect as a club, and we need our fans to commit to this minute of applause. At this moment, we do it for Ukraine, and there is no second opinion about the situation there. They have our thoughts and our support. We should stand together as a club. It's not the moment for other messages."

Neville has now praised the former PSG boss for his post-match comments, tweeting:

"He's a good bloke Tuchel."

The former Manchester United right-back was not alone in his praise of Tuchel. Tottenham Hotspur legend Gary Lineker responded to the German manager's comments, saying:

"Absolutely."

Tuchel's influence could see fans show more respect as the football world looks to come together.

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Thomas Tuchel's transformation of Chelsea

Thomas Tuchel's work at Chelsea has earned him huge praise.

When Chelsea appointed the former Borussia Dortmund manager after sacking Frank Lampard in 2021, Blues fans had reservations.

That's because Thomas Tuchel was coming off the back of a stint at PSG where he was close to delivering the Ligue 1 side their long-awaited first UEFA Champions League trophy. The 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the 2020 final left many doubting Tuchel's managerial credentials, though.

However, the 48-year-old has been a huge success since joining the Stamford Bridge outfit. Despite spending just under five months in charge of the west London side, he took them to the final of the FA Cup. They would come close to winning their ninth FA Cup, but lost to Leicester City.

The German manager then went one step better in the UEFA Champions League. Going into a huge final against Manchester City, Tuchel's side were deemed the underdogs. However, Kai Havertz's first-half goal was enough to deliver Chelsea their second title as the German got the better of the renowned Pep Guardiola.

Tuchel has shown his pedigree once more this season. He has delivered the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, and narrowly lost the Carabao Cup final on penalties to Liverpool. In 26 Premier League games this season, the third-placed Blues have won 15, drawn eight and lost three times.

They may have lost pace with title challengers Manchester City and Liverpool, but the side's progression under the former Mainz boss is clear to see. They are still in contention to win silverware in the form of the Champions League and the FA Cup as the Blues seek a strong end to their campaign.