Chelsea trainer Thomas Tuchel has taken responsibility for the final defeat in the English Football League Cup after his goalkeeping move didn’t work out this time. “If you want to blame someone, blame me. I make the decisions, and I don’t make them to be the hero,” said Tuchel after the 10-11 penalty shootout defeat against Liverpool with coach Jürgen Klopp.
Tuchel could have made another clever move on Sunday evening in the extension of the final like in the won UEFA Supercup final in August. At that time, keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had also come on as an extra and secured the title with two saved penalties against FC Villarreal from Spain. But things went wrong against Liverpool. In the 120th minute, Kepa (27), as previously discussed, came on for first-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, but failed to save a single penalty from 11 – only to step up himself and shoot the ball over the Reds goal.
“It’s tough and we feel for him, but we don’t blame him. We made the decision like we did before the last penalty shoot-out because Kepa trains with the players every day. And they know how good he is,” explained Tuchel. The replaced Mendy could certainly have advanced to the match winner. The 29-year-old, who dominated 119 minutes, recently won the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal against Egypt – where he saved a shot on penalties in the final. “Fall and get up. Disappointed after the great effort,” Kepa wrote on Instagram, thanking the “Chelsea family” for the support and announcing: “We keep working.”
Due to the partial withdrawal of the Russian Chelsea owner Roman Abramowitsch, Tuchel does not expect any immediate effects on the club for the time being. “I don’t think anything will change for me in day-to-day business,” said the German coach. He is in close contact with sports director Marina Granowskaja and technical advisor Petr Cech. “I take care of the first team, give my input and do my best to win football games,” said Tuchel. “That won’t change that.”
Abramovich declared on Saturday that he would relinquish control of the London football club. Because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calls had been made in Great Britain to impose sanctions on Abramovich. The billionaire is accused of being close to Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin.
Klopp condemns war of ‘a really bad man’
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has sharply condemned Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. “I’m 54 years old, almost 55. It’s beyond my comprehension how an evil person can put the whole world in such a situation. Especially, of course, the people in Ukraine,” said Klopp on the Norwegian TV station Viaplay Sport after winning the final on Sunday evening.
Klopp said he knows “a lot of Ukrainians and Russians too” and that the attack on Ukraine was “a really bad man’s war” – meaning to Russian President Vladimir Putin: “We have to show solidarity, real solidarity. In dark times you always need moments to think about something else. I’m glad we were able to deliver that today.”
Klopp and his team have been “constantly on the phone” for days. Former players of his are probably “now at war,” reported Klopp and campaigned for solidarity: “It looks like we can’t stop him. But at least we can give him more trouble than he might have expected. And maybe that will help the people of Ukraine.”
