The Fort Worth Press - Tuchel praises focus of Chelsea players as troubled holders reach Champions League quarters

USD -
AED 3.67295
AFN 74.024739
ALL 95.305207
AMD 400.009653
ANG 1.802545
AOA 913.497406
ARS 1054.150497
AUD 1.595765
AWG 1.40625
AZN 1.639107
BAM 1.887783
BBD 2.019527
BDT 121.979353
BGN 1.88744
BHD 0.376829
BIF 2925
BMD 1
BND 1.353591
BOB 6.911631
BRL 5.779603
BSD 1.000208
BTN 87.56811
BWP 13.902417
BYN 3.273247
BYR 19600
BZD 2.009102
CAD 1.43342
CDF 2855.999824
CHF 0.905503
CLF 0.025163
CLP 965.670379
CNY 7.289497
CNH 7.290285
COP 4163.48
CRC 509.003856
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 106.434939
CZK 24.196038
DJF 178.115845
DKK 7.192405
DOP 61.988118
DZD 135.341011
EGP 50.310894
ERN 15
ETB 128.231984
EUR 0.96413
FJD 2.313302
FKP 0.823587
GBP 0.805835
GEL 2.793898
GGP 0.823587
GHS 15.404441
GIP 0.823587
GMD 71.999761
GNF 8646.843342
GTQ 7.732364
GYD 209.265846
HKD 7.78685
HNL 25.487679
HRK 7.379548
HTG 130.829484
HUF 390.765495
IDR 16335
ILS 3.55345
IMP 0.823587
INR 87.61875
IQD 1310.19372
IRR 42099.999776
ISK 141.539653
JEP 0.823587
JMD 158.147481
JOD 0.709397
JPY 151.982965
KES 129.101607
KGS 87.449791
KHR 4017.432685
KMF 472.950232
KPW 900.000111
KRW 1447.519831
KWD 0.308561
KYD 0.833547
KZT 513.867909
LAK 21740.746282
LBP 89573.959756
LKR 298.303612
LRD 199.049205
LSL 18.597304
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.912186
MAD 56.007498
MDL 18.720287
MGA 4721.338694
MKD 59.323791
MMK 3247.960992
MNT 3398.000107
MOP 8.021198
MRU 39.877221
MUR 46.670051
MVR 15.410291
MWK 1734.438272
MXN 20.545397
MYR 4.43497
MZN 63.909974
NAD 18.596855
NGN 1498.710169
NIO 36.804131
NOK 11.24857
NPR 140.110715
NZD 1.766705
OMR 0.385031
PAB 1.000256
PEN 3.7075
PGK 4.076314
PHP 58.066497
PKR 279.098681
PLN 4.049094
PYG 7874.137349
QAR 3.646578
RON 4.798298
RSD 112.886966
RUB 96.998115
RWF 1391.593102
SAR 3.750392
SBD 8.43942
SCR 14.376703
SDG 600.99038
SEK 10.913935
SGD 1.35267
SHP 0.823587
SLE 22.895006
SLL 20969.49992
SOS 571.62438
SRD 35.105022
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.752057
SYP 13001.999985
SZL 18.584067
THB 33.811028
TJS 10.917858
TMT 3.51
TND 3.192499
TOP 2.342104
TRY 35.890798
TTD 6.791702
TWD 32.824961
TZS 2560.279007
UAH 41.470292
UGX 3675.728896
UYU 43.543101
UZS 12973.160808
VES 59.386349
VND 25270
VUV 118.722008
WST 2.800827
XAF 633.172295
XAG 0.031422
XAU 0.000352
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.767096
XOF 633.166183
XPF 115.113052
YER 248.949916
ZAR 18.553305
ZMK 9001.191712
ZMW 28.082843
ZWL 321.999592
  • BCC

    1.0500

    125.8

    +0.83%

  • GSK

    -0.6050

    37.095

    -1.63%

  • AZN

    3.0250

    73.96

    +4.09%

  • NGG

    -1.1700

    61.5

    -1.9%

  • RIO

    1.2350

    62.605

    +1.97%

  • SCS

    0.2100

    11.77

    +1.78%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0600

    7.44

    -0.81%

  • CMSD

    0.0100

    23.83

    +0.04%

  • JRI

    0.0000

    12.83

    0%

  • BCE

    -1.1900

    23.71

    -5.02%

  • RELX

    -0.4000

    50.37

    -0.79%

  • VOD

    0.1900

    8.46

    +2.25%

  • BTI

    0.2700

    41.37

    +0.65%

  • BP

    0.2250

    31.895

    +0.71%

  • RBGPF

    -0.7000

    65.3

    -1.07%

  • CMSC

    0.0400

    23.54

    +0.17%

Tuchel praises focus of Chelsea players as troubled holders reach Champions League quarters
Tuchel praises focus of Chelsea players as troubled holders reach Champions League quarters

Tuchel praises focus of Chelsea players as troubled holders reach Champions League quarters

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel praised his players for remaining focused amid the uncertainty about the club's future after they progressed Wednesday to the Champions League quarter-finals, where he said they would be "the team nobody wants to play".

Text size:

The reigning European champions came from behind to beat Lille 2-1 in northern France and win their last-16 tie 4-1 on aggregate with Christian Pulisic and captain Cesar Azpilicueta scoring their goals.

The victory came on the same day it emerged that the Ricketts family, owners of Major League Baseball team the Chicago Cubs, were leading a consortium looking to buy the club while British athletics great Sebastian Coe announced his involvement in a rival takeover bid.

Reeling from the impact of UK government sanctions imposed on their Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, it was also reported on Wednesday by Sky Sports that EU sanctions mean Chelsea cannot sell tickets for their next Champions League home ties.

If confirmed that would mean Chelsea playing behind closed doors in Europe at Stamford Bridge.

"Thanks for ruining my evening," Tuchel said when that was put to him as he spoke to reporters at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

"Can we speak about it when it's confirmed? Let's see. Today I'm happy we are in the last eight."

Chelsea have now played five games since Abramovich put the club up for sale on March 2 and won them all.

Since losing 1-0 at Manchester City in mid-January, Tuchel's team have lost just once, on penalties to Liverpool in the League Cup final.

"Chelsea is so clear what it demands from every employee and from every player -- play your role to the limit, live up to it and take responsibility," Tuchel said when asked how he and his team managed to maintain their concentration amid all the turmoil.

"This is what Chelsea is about and that sharpens your mentality and brings out the best in you because it is normal to do it on a daily basis and because this mentality has been installed over years and years.

"That is why it is possible that we can stay focused and produce results, as we do now when things are uncertain and unstable around us."

- 'Not the best idea' -

Tuchel admitted that Chelsea had got it badly wrong in putting in a request for their next game, an FA Cup quarter-final away to Middlesbrough on Saturday, to be played behind closed doors in the interests of fairness and "sporting integrity".

The club, who are only allowed to operate under a special licence, cannot sell tickets, with only existing ticket-holders allowed to attend matches.

"Let me put it like this -- we love to play in front of spectators and I don't think spectators of our opponents should suffer from the consequences," said the German.

"It was not the best idea. We love to play in front of spectators and I am happy it was turned down."

Despite all the turbulence, Tuchel's team will be in Friday's draw for the Champions League quarter-finals along with fellow Premier League sides Liverpool and Manchester City as well as Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, Bayern Munich and Benfica.

"I want us to be the team nobody wants to play," Tuchel said.

"It's a big step to do it again and again and that is why we fight for top-four places in maybe the toughest league in the world and we fight now again in the top eight teams.

"This brings out the very best in us."

L.Holland--TFWP