LONDON, Feb 27, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed
he was left in a “dark place” after Manchester United knocked Paris Saint
Germain out of the Champions League during his time in charge of the French
club.
Tuchel has a chance to avenge that painful loss against United when Ole
Gunnar Solskjaer’s side visit Stamford Bridge in a crucial Premier League
clash on Sunday.
That will be the fifth time in just over two years that Tuchel has faced
United.
The 47-year-old still has the mental scars from PSG’s 2019 meltdown against
United.
After a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford, PSG were left stunned at Parc des
Princes three weeks later when they conceded a penalty in stoppage-time to
suffer a 3-1 defeat and exit the last 16 on away goals.
“I can be very honest, after that match I was two days in a very dark place
and I can tell you I was not able to speak to anybody and to think about
anything else than this defeat,” Tuchel said.
“That maybe was the worst defeat that I experienced because it came from
nowhere. It was, in a way, in the circumstances that it arrived. I was for
two days in a dark place for a coach to be at.”
It remains the only time the former Borussia Dortmund boss has felt that
low after a result but he admitted it proved a crucial learning experience.
PSG were able to bounce back and win the Ligue 1 title before Tuchel led
them to a Champions League final defeat against Bayern Munich last season.
“I didn’t experience anything like this ever again or before,” Tuchel said.
“It was in the circumstances, this game, how we arrived there, the pressure
around the club concerning the round of 16, the history before and the result
of the first match and the way the second match went with the VAR decision in
the last minute.
“It was like it came from absolutely nowhere and that’s why this hit was
hard to take. But, like I said, I was two days in a dark place but then we
gave the players two days off and I think that was the best for everybody.
“After that, it’s like this in sports, it can teach you that you have to
stand up and accept that a defeat is sometimes necessary to grow and develop
and to ask yourself decisive questions.
“That can hurt and the reward was one year later, it was almost the perfect
reward when we arrived in the final and we came a long way for that. It was
through adversity and it’s often said that it makes you stronger.”
Chelsea, unbeaten since Tuchel replaced the sacked Frank Lampard in
January, must beat United to keep in touch in the top four race, while the
visitors need a win to maintain their faint hopes of catching leaders
Manchester City.