No changes for me at Chelsea after Abramovich's move, Tuchel says

FILE Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich AFP

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel said on Sunday he expected no changes to the way he manages the reigning European champions after owner Roman Abramovich announced he was stepping back from running the club following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"I think it won't change anything for me on a daily basis. This is how I understand it," Tuchel told reporters after his side were beaten in a dramatic 11-10 penalty shootout by Liverpool in the League Cup final at Wembley.

Abramovich, one of Russia's most powerful businessmen, said on Saturday he was giving stewardship of the club to trustees of its foundation as calls grew for the British government to confiscate ownership of the club in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine.

Tuchel said he typically worked closely with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech, the club's technical and performance advisor. "I think it will not change with the news from yesterday," the German said.

Tuchel defended goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga whom he sent on as a substitute for Edouard Mendy in the dying moments of extra time against Liverpool, with the score at 0-0.

The idea was to make the most of the Spaniard's penalty-stopping expertise but he saved none of the Reds' 11 spot-kicks and then missed when it was his turn to shoot from 12 metres.

"It was a bit harsh on him today that he was the guy to miss the one and the only penalty but there is no blame," Tuchel said.

He praised his players for keeping a clean sheet in the 120 minutes against what he said was probably the best attacking side in Europe and he was left to rue "a bit of a weird line" when Romelu Lukaku was ruled to have been offside after putting the ball in the back of the net in extra time.

"But that's it. We cannot have any regrets," Tuchel said.