Chelsea sack head coach Thomas Tuchel following Champions League loss

Chelsea FC have sacked head coach Thomas Tuchel on the new owners' 100th day in charge.

Chelsea announced that they had parted ways with Tuchel after their 1-0 loss against Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League encounter on Tuesday night. It also marked Chelsea's third defeat of the 2022-23 season. The Blues lost at Leeds United and Southampton last month in the Premier League.

"On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the Club would like to place on record its gratitude to Thomas and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club. Thomas will rightly have a place in Chelsea's history after winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his time here.

"As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition," read Chelsea's official release.

The club statement also included that Chelsea's coaching staff would take charge of the team for training and the preparation of their upcoming matches. Chelsea also stated that they would not make any further comment until the appointment of he new head coach was made.

Tuchel joined Chelsea as their new boss in January 2021 when the Stamford Bridge side had fired Frank Lampard. The German boss ended the 2020-21 season by leading Chelsea to Champions League glory, which was the Blues' second Champions League title.

Even last season, Tuchel-managed Chelsea made it to two domestic finals: FA Cup, and the League Cup. Unfortunately, they lost both the big games to Liverpool FC on penalties.

Zidane, Rogers, and Pochettino among favourites to replace Tuchel at Chelsea

Tuchel's sacking was already on the table and would have happened regardless of their 1-0 defeat in Zagreb, according to BBC Sport. The report further claimed that Chelsea will now look for a long-term manager who shares their vision for a collaborative culture and focus on development of all players in the squad.

Brighton manager Graham Potter, former Spurs and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane and current Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers are among favourites to take over Chelsea's charge.

The Blues are currently sixth in the 2022-23 Premier League table, having registered three wins, one draw, and two losses.

The new ownership spent around £255.3 million in the summer window, which could be a British record, as they signed eight new players, including centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), and forward Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).

Nevertheless, Chelsea's results have not been great while Tuchel has criticised his players on a number of occasions this season. The German boss has also been fined twice for his behaviour already in the ongoing campaign.