For the residents of a Middlesbrough hotel, it may have been a surreal sight.
A lobby full of people in blue tracksuits with nowhere to go and passing the time playing cards because one of the biggest football clubs in the world couldn’t afford to pay an extra day for their rooms.
Such was the life of Thomas Tuchel and his Chelsea staff after the pre-sale sanctions imposed by the government in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Roman Abramovich’s property.
“We didn’t know how we’re going to arrive in a Champions League match, whether you have a plane or not,” the German recalled of what he now describes as “crazy moments.”
Thomas Tuchel admits preparations for their FA Cup draw at Middlesbrough were far from ideal
‘Or after you’ve played Newcastle, a long journey, and you don’t know whether to travel by bus or plane. We played one match, the FA Cup match in Middlesbrough, where we went up the day before, but the rooms were not available until 12 noon the next day, with all our staff just sitting in the lobby as just the players and myself our rooms longer.
“It was a very strange situation for a club that was used to a kind of level and organization and support that is normally excellent.”
Tuchel tried to turn the negative into something positive. “It was really nice to see that we can adapt,” he says. “We’re spoiled, but not so spoiled that it puts everyone in a bad mood. We played cards or watched a game together and it was nice to see that everyone was ready to adapt and get the best out of themselves.’
Things are different now. We speak in a large conference room in luxurious, historic Beverly Wilshere, where the club is relaxing on the first leg of their US tour that takes them to Los Angeles, Charlotte and Orlando.
The Tuscan stone walls and marble floors have welcomed presidents and celebrities (a statue of Marilyn Monroe stands outside the main entrance). John Lennon came to live here after a split from Yoko Ono. Elvis Presley was a regular.
Things are different now, with Chelsea in a glamorous setting on their US pre-season tour
While no one has the heartache of being thrown out of their rooms at this hotel, the focus now is on making sure everything shakes up. Since the arrival of LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and his associates in late May, change has been in the air.
Players dealer Marina Granovskaia, Tuchel confidant Petr Cech and chairman Bruce Buck have left, along with a number of key players.
As a result, Chelsea are now catching up and the 48-year-old, who sees himself as a pure coach, is in not exactly comfortable territory – working with the new batch of transfer matters (with a sporting director yet to arrive).
When asked for a word to describe the new era, a weary Tuchel responds quickly. “Intense,” he says. ‘A lot has changed. I could never have imagined that I would stay at the club longer than Roman, Marina and Petr.
“It (transfers) is not my favorite activity and in the long run the focus should be on coaching, because that’s what I’m here for,” he explains. “But right now, of course, my help is needed and wanted, and it’s imperative that I stand up and take responsibility.
“I have direct contact with Todd on a daily basis and sometimes more than once a day because we are aware that we have a club in transition and change. My concern is that the team is competitive and for this we have to invest a lot of time and we have to be hands-on. There is no other way.’
Tuchel confidant Petr Cech is one of Stamford Bridge’s many key departures this summer
Tuchel says he has daily direct contact with new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly
An important problem has already been addressed. In what looks like a coup, Raheem Sterling has arrived from Manchester City for £47.5 million. The opposite of a coup, Romelu Lukaku has been loaned out for a year, 12 months after rejoining the club for no less than £97.5 million.
“There was never a meeting where I said, ‘I want this guy out,’ Tuchel says of the superflop.
‘Never. I was always clear: if he stays, we will do everything we can to put him in a better place, get him in better shape, improve my way of coaching and our style of play, to make him a better fit to give.
“Romelu made it very clear that he wanted to leave and the owners have made the decision to make the decision immediately.”
Is he disappointed with how it turned out?
“Disappointed is the wrong word,” he responds. ‘I don’t know a better word in English. It feels like I’m taking it personally – it’s never personal. I’m not glad we couldn’t get more out of him.
“Maybe it just took a little more time. A little more fitness, a little more customization in our game. Who knows? But we can’t find out. When Romelu gave his clear opinion on the situation and a solution was on the table, the owners made their choice and had my blessing.”
Romelu Lukaku has been loaned to Inter Milan for a year after returning to Chelsea for £97.5m
Raheem Sterling is likely to be the first of many newcomers to Stamford Bridge this summer
When asked to name a replacement, Tuchel was quick to locate the City man who, with just a year left on his contract, was determined to secure regular first-team football.
“I immediately gave Todd his name,” he explains. “He’s terrible to play against, terrible. The main point is his intensity and the amount of repetition of intensity he delivers. This is just excellent in recent years.
“He caused huge problems when he played against us and once you dig deeper into his data and not just stats on his involvement in goals, it’s excellent. It’s exactly what we need to level up our players. That’s why we’re so sure and that’s why he was at the top of our list.”
Sterling is probably the first of many. At the moment, Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly is finalizing a £34million transfer from Napoli in London, as Chelsea want to avoid a season of sanctions-induced purgatory.
Although he would never say it, you get the impression – considering they finished so far behind City and Liverpool last time – that Tuchel would take fourth if you offered it to him now. Relocations elsewhere have not gone unnoticed.
Tuchel believes Antonio Conte could potentially build Tottenham’s strongest team ever
“If you look at Tottenham’s transfer window with Antonio Conte, it’s arguably the strongest team they’ve ever built. Man United won’t budge, Arsenal won’t budge, they’ve already made two big signings.” Tuchel exhales.
“So we are aware of the situation and trying to do our best to be competitive.”
But first and foremost, and one last, important question to answer. Who is Chelsea’s card shark after the Middlesbrough lobbying experience? Tuchel, the man talking to him, smiles before responding.
“We’ll find out in Vegas,” he says.