Chelsea sack Thomas Tuchel after shock Champions League defeat by Dinamo Zagreb

Chelsea have sacked Thomas Tuchel in the wake of Tuesday’s chastening 1-0 Champions League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb.

German coach Tuchel led Chelsea to the Champions League title in 2021 and the Club World Cup crown in 2022, but has paid the price for an indifferent start to the new campaign.

New owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have worked hard all summer to impose their authority at Chelsea, but this represents the boldest and most sweeping change yet.

Chelsea insisted they had made the change at the “right time” amid the club’s continued transition out of the Roman Abramovich era.

Chelsea also pledged to move quickly to appoint a replacement for Tuchel.

“Chelsea have today parted company with head coach Thomas Tuchel,” read a club statement published on Wednesday.

“On behalf of everyone at Chelsea, the club would like to place on record their 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.

“Chelsea’s coaching staff will take charge of the team for training and the preparation of our upcoming matches as the club moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach.

“There will be no further comment until a new head coach appointment is made.”

New owners Boehly and Eghbali paid a world-record sports franchise £4.25billion to buy Chelsea from Russian billionaire Abramovich at the end of May.

The ambitious US magnates are in the process of overhauling every aspect of the Blues’ operation, and have acted quickly to unseat Tuchel.

The highly regarded German coach has overseen three defeats in seven matches in the new campaign, after the Blues invested a one-window Premier League record £273million to revamp the squad.

Tuchel played a key role in Chelsea’s recruitment this summer, with Boehly acting as interim sporting director as well as chairman.

The former Paris St Germain coach also steered Chelsea through the mire of UK Government sanctions from March to May last season, amid the wider impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The Blues’ search for a new sporting director continues, with former Liverpool supremo Michael Edwards still the long-term target.

Now the Blues need a new manager at the Stamford Bridge helm, with Brighton boss Graham Potter and former PSG and Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino among the early candidates.