Thomas Tuchel finds himself at risk of repeating the same problems he experienced at Borussia Dortmund after Romelu Lukaku recently revealed "he is not happy with the situation at Chelsea." While there has never been any doubt about Tuchel’s coaching ability, the German boss has clashed with figures of authority in his previous jobs.
Just four months into his reign at Chelsea, Tuchel guided the Blues to Champions League success against the odds thanks to a winner from Kai Havertz in the final against Manchester City.
A lot has changed since then, and Tuchel now finds himself having to try and mend relations with a player who isn’t best pleased with how things are going at Chelsea.
Forming lasting relationships with key figures of authority is crucial when managing the likes of Chelsea, and Tuchel has struggled in that respect at previous clubs Dortmund and PSG.
“We broke up because it just didn’t fit,” said Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke last November when discussing Tuchel’s exit from the club.
Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea have lost ground on the title race in recent weeks (Image: GETTY)
“Thomas is a difficult person, as you can see in Paris, but a fantastic coach. I don’t see the big mistake there.”
Tuchel reportedly also had similar tensions with Dortmund transfer chief Sven Mislintat, who later departed the club for Arsenal in December 2017.
At PSG, Tuchel’s primary disagreement with sporting director Leonardo is said to have revolved around the recruitment of players.
“He will always clash with authority at some point,” a Dortmund insider told MailOnline back in January. “It’s just a question of when.”
Tuchel must now be careful that any problems he currently has with Lukaku, don’t escalate, and affect his relations with the club’s hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
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Chelsea top five club transfers (Image: Reach PLC)
Lukaku recently told Sky Italia in an interview earlier this month that he wasn’t happy and that he has a desire to return to former club Inter while he is still in his prime as a player.
"Physically I am fine,” he told Sky Italia. “But I'm not happy with the situation at Chelsea. Tuchel has chosen to play with another system.
"I won't give up, I'll be professional. I am not happy with the situation but I am professional - and I can't give up now.
"I think everything that happened last summer was not supposed to happen like this... how I left Inter, the way I left the club, how I communicated with Inter fans. This bothers me because it was not the right time.
Romelu Lukaku told Sky Italia he is 'not happy with the situation at Chelsea' (Image: GETTY)