Pulisic reveals how Tuchel let him down
Karan Tejwani
- 21 Sept 2022 09:10 BST
- 3 min read
Christian Pulisic admits he was dumbfounded by former manager Thomas Tuchel’s decision ahead of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid in the 2020-21 season.
Speaking in his new autobiography, Christian Pulisic: My Journey So Far, he has revealed what happened in the lead up to the crucial semi-final game.
The American star built a good rapport with Tuchel, having previously worked with him at Borussia Dortmund, but things weren’t quite as good at Chelsea.
Now, Pulisic has revealed what happened in the days before the semi-final against Real Madrid that year, admitting that he was supposed to start the match but didn’t.
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"l’d had a really good first leg performance and our following match was against Fulham in the league,” Pulisic wrote in the book about the match.
“Tuchel told me that he was resting me for the second leg and as a result I didn’t play a single minute in the Fulham game.”
Pulisic then continued: "Then on match day of the second semi, Tuchel tells me he’s changed his mind and he’s going with Kai [Havertz]. I honestly was dumbfounded and very disappointed.
Christian Pulisic on his goal vs Real Madrid (1st leg):
"As I take off on the run, I hear Tuchel yelling from the sideline, 'Christian, stay in the pocket, don’t make the run!' But I just had the feeling I’d find the space and get on the end of the pass, so I continued the run." pic.twitter.com/7IMQjWddVN— USMNT Otaku 🇺🇸 (@USMNTOtaku) September 20, 2022
“I thought that I’d earned a start and, most importantly, he had assured me previously I was going to start. So by the time he brought me on with about 25 minutes left, I was just so wound up."
Chelsea ended up winning the match and tie, leading them to reach the Champions League final against Manchester City, which they ended up winning, claiming their second European title.
Tuchel ended up staying for a further season, and added UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup titles to his record at Chelsea, before being sacked earlier this season under new ownership, led by Todd Boehly.
He was replaced by Graham Potter, and Pulisic will be hoping for better fortunes under him, having been linked to an exit from the club earlier in the summer.
