Thomas Tuchel joked Todd Boehly can watch Chelsea games from home in Los Angeles next season after the Blues once again failed to win in front of their incoming new owner.
Boehly was present at Stamford Bridge on Thursday for the Blues' disappointing 1-1 draw with Leicester City in their penultimate Premier League game of a mixed campaign.
The American billionaire, alongside Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter and Hansjorg Wyss, is reportedly close to finalising a £4.25billion takeover from Roman Abramovich.
But he has yet to see the Blues win up close, having also been in attendance for defeats to Real Madrid, Arsenal and Liverpool, as well as draws with Wolves and now Leicester.
While Chelsea have struggled to perform in front of Boehly so far, Tuchel hopes that will change once the takeover officially goes through.
"Was he here again? Well, that's a clear sign! He will watch on ESPN in Los Angeles next season – that's clear already," Tuchel said. "I mean, if it's like this, this is clear.
"But when we speak we will be very open and very honest with each other. He will he will get my my point of view if he if he wants to have it.
"We are going to lose key players, of course, and we have struggled lately to win our home games. Plus he was also at the Liverpool game at Wembley.
"So maybe when the deal is done, and he is our owner, maybe he is the lucky charm that we need. So we give him we give him some more credit."
Chelsea's point against Leicester, after Marcos Alonso cancelled out James Maddison's opener, effectively sealed a third-placed finish for Chelsea in the Premier League.
The Blues lost to Liverpool on penalties in both domestic cup finals this term and were eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Real Madrid.
With just one more game to come in 2021-22, at home to Watford on Sunday, Tuchel reflected on what has been an up-and-down campaign.
"I don't judge seasons like this because in the moment, while you're doing it as a manager, it always feels challenging and demanding," he said.
"In the moment you have to adapt to the situation and try to find a solution. It's always challenging.
"That can be from results, from the atmosphere in the dressing room, from crazy things like sanctions, which nobody could have predicted.
"So it has been challenging, it has been demanding, but it has also been a lot of fun and this is a pure pleasure to be in the middle of it and to still be a part of it."
Chelsea are set to lose a number of key players on free transfers in the coming weeks and are unable to bring in replacements until their takeover is finalised.
Tuchel has already seen leaders Manchester City strengthen with the addition of Erling Haaland, while Liverpool recruited Luis Diaz from Porto in January.
The situation at Stamford Bridge my remain unclear for now, but Tuchel wants to be active in the upcoming transfer window.
"First of all, of course I think we can do better next season. It's not a lot, just these margins," he said. "We will look into the new season.
"It is like this, but we have lacked huge quality without the injured N'Golo [Kante], Ben Chilwell, Reece James, if you see him in the last weeks.
"It is maybe a miracle we are in the top three the whole season without these key players because we missed them for weeks and weeks and weeks and it never stopped for us.
"Maybe this just needs to change so that we have everybody available. Liverpool bought a fantastic player in the winter to make the existing squad stronger.
"Man City signed Haaland already to make the existing squad stronger. We are losing players so at the moment my focus is to build a strong team and see what's possible."
On this day in 2021: Spurs sack Jose Mourinho days before Carabao Cup final
Jose Mourinho was sacked as manager of Tottenham on this day in 2021, less than a week before he was due to lead them out for the Carabao Cup final.
Spurs’ Premier League form was what ultimately cost the Portuguese his job, with his last match in charge a 2-2 draw with Everton which left Tottenham seventh, five points off the Champions League places and with just one win from their last five league games.
Mourinho’s dismissal after just 17 months at the helm was announced hours after Tottenham had confirmed they intended to join a breakaway European Super League, plans that were swiftly aborted after fans’ backlash, although that was unrelated to the Portuguese’s axing.
The 58-year-old was denied the chance of delivering the club’s first piece of silverware in 13 years, with academy coach Ryan Mason put in caretaker charge as Tottenham lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the EFL Cup showpiece.
Spurs striker Harry Kane, whose form that season had been a bright spot with 47 goal contributions in 43 games, wrote on Twitter: “Thank you for everything Boss. A pleasure to have worked together. I wish you all the best for your next chapter.”
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy spoke of his regret following Mourinho’s departure, having long coveted the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss.
Levy said on the club’s official website: “Jose and his coaching staff have been with us through some of our most challenging times as a club.
“Jose is a true professional who showed enormous resilience during the (Covid-19) pandemic. On a personal level I have enjoyed working with him and regret that things have not worked out as we both had envisaged.
“He will always be welcome here and we should like to thank him and his coaching staff for their contribution.”
Mason remained steward until the end of the season before making way for Mourinho’s fellow Portuguese Nuno Espirito Santo, who had a disappointing four-month spell in charge
FC Halifax back in the play-off places after draw with Oldham
FC Halifax moved back into the play-off places in the National League as Adan George rescued a point in a 2-2 draw at home to Oldham.
The visitors took the lead in the 18th minute through Dan Gardner’s half-volley from a corner before Rob Harker levelled for the home side a minute into first-half stoppage time, smashing the ball home.
Oldham were awarded a penalty when Joe Garner was fouled in the box and Gardner restored Latics’ lead from the penalty spot in the 58th minute, but The Shaymen levelled again in the 72nd minute through substitute George’s smart finish from a narrow angle.
Halifax climb back into the play-off spots on goal difference where they are tied on 68 points with Aldershot, while Oldham remain 10th.
Mikel Arteta: What Arsenal still have to play for is beautiful
Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to end their season in “beautiful” fashion after they were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich.
The Gunners lost 1-0 at the Allianz Arena as Joshua Kimmich’s second-half header was enough to seal a semi-final against Real Madrid with a 3-2 aggregate victory.
It followed on from a 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa on Sunday that has dented Arsenal’s Premier League title chances.
They travel to Wolves on Saturday evening needing a reaction to a poor week and Arteta feels his side will approach the game in the correct manner.
Asked how painful the Champions League exit was, the Spaniard said: “It’s there.
“It’s not going to go away, certainly tonight, but I can guarantee you by tomorrow we’re fully focused on Wolves and everybody is lifted.
“What we still have to play for is beautiful. I said before it’s time to be next to these players.
“It’s easy to be behind them and praise the players and talk nice things when we win 10 in a row and one draw.
“The moment is now to be behind them and be next to them.”
After a tight game in which Bayern also hit the woodwork twice and Gabriel Martinelli missed a glorious chance to put the away side ahead, Arteta said his side are continuing to learn after returning to the Champions League for the first time in seven years.
“We haven’t played this competition for seven years and we haven’t been in this stage for 14 years,” he added.
“There’s a reason for it. We want to do everything fast forward, super quick in one season. I think we have the capacity and the quality to be in the semi-final because the margins are very small.
“Those margins are coming from something else that maybe we don’t have yet. We have to learn it. When you look historically it took other clubs seven, eight or 10 years to do it. Today that’s not going to make us feel better that’s for sure.”
While Arsenal are still relatively inexperienced at this level, Bayern are now preparing for a ninth semi-final in the competition since the Gunners last made it that far.
Manager Thomas Tuchel also becomes just the second man, after Jose Mourinho, to guide three different clubs to the final four and was pleased with the performance of the hosts.
“It’s always better to play in front of your own fans,” he said.
“With every tackle and every good action you get the support and it lifts you and gives you a second wind.
“Now it’s the semi-finals and everyone needs to step up – we need to step up and the supporters need to step up again.
“It was a chess game in the first half. Nobody wanted to make the first mistake. Everyone played a bit safe – there were moments for us, there were moments for Arsenal.
“We encouraged the team at half-time to show a bit more personality, a bit more courage. We were more fluid and played a fantastic second half. We deserved to win.”
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