Coach Pitso Mosimane has paid a moving tribute to ‘great tactician’ Thomas Tuchel following his sacking as Chelsea manager.
The South African coach described the German as a very approachable and humble person.
The former Al Ahly coach said this based on his interaction with Tuchel at the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup held in Qatar in February.
“This is a great tactician, good person and very humble. He walked up to me and said something that weakened my knees. I did not even know how to respond to him. European and World Champion 2020/2021. Football can be very cruel,” he said.
Mosimane had in February told the media in Egypt that he was humbled that Tuchel went out of his way to give him encouraging words.
The former Bafana Bafana mentor was queueing up to receive a bronze medal alongside his Al Ahly team when Tuchel approached him.
Mosimane had then led Al Ahly to a second consecutive bronze medal finish after beating Asia Football Confederation champions Al Hilal FC 4-0 of Saudi Arabia.
MOSIMANE ON TUCHEL
“Thomas Tuchel, I am not moved so much by what he said to me, I am moved by him walking up to me. I am there on the queue minding my business. I mean I see Thomas Tuchel coming, the guy moved away from there to come to me and say things to me,” the South African told Kingfut.com edition of 16 February 2022.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns coach is taking a breather away from football after resigning from Al Ahly in June this year due to immense pressure.
Chelsea’s new owners took world football by surprise when they fired Tuchel soon after Chelsea’s 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in a EUFA Champions League group stage game during the week.
The decision puzzled the world football fraternity, which feels it was so harsh firing the coach who delivered many trophies in his 20-month stay at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s management has since hired Graham Porter from Brighton and Hove to replace Tuchel who some felt had fallen out with his superiors at the club before the loss to Zagreb hence his dismissal.
