Thomas Tuchel has admitted he expects to sign a new deal at Chelsea after leading the club to a sensational Champions League triumph, following their 1-0 win against Manchester City in Porto.
Former PSG coach Tuchel has had a transformative effect since moving to Stamford Bridge, having guided the team into the top four, led them to the FA Cup final, and now secured European glory on the biggest stage of them all.
And shortly after the wild celebrations that greeted the final whistle, Tuchel insisted he is confident that he will be able to put pen to paper on a contract fully expected to be until at least 2023.
His bullish spirit over the extension may be as a result of his first encounter with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. The two men shared their first ever meeting on the pitch at the Estadio do Dragao.
‘I’m not even 100 per cent sure, but maybe I have a new contract now,’ Tuchel said in his press conference. ‘It can be, my manager said something about it, but I do not know. So let’s check this first.
‘I spoke to the owner right now on the pitch, this was the best moment for a first meeting. Or the worst, because from now on it can only get worse. We will speak tomorrow, speak later, speak tomorrow, and looking forward to this.
‘I can assure him that I will stay hungry, that I want the next title and I feel absolutely happy, as a part of a really ambitious club, a strong part of a strong group. That suits my belief and my passion for football at the moment perfectly.
‘So my desire is to go for more victories, to grow as a coach and to push the group on the first day of the next season to the limit. We have work to do to close the gap, and this is what I’m all about. And so it will be nice to meet him a bit closer.
‘We are in contact but not personally, he knows what’s going on from me directly. But now it’s nice to meet him.’
Tuchel signed an initial 18-month contract after replacing sacked club legend Frank Lampard in January – although the short length of his deal came as little surprise after Chelsea were forced into several hefty pay-outs.
His success in the Champions League underlined his stellar work at Cobham and across the majority of his games in charge so far, however, and the memorable evening in Portugal is certain to see him rewarded and backed.
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