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Published 16:20 6 May 2021 BST
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 27: Thomas Tuchel, Manager of Chelsea embraces Jorginho during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on January 27, 2021.[/caption]
You thought it unusual at the time to see a confident Tuchel approach each and every Chelsea player, to knuckle-touch, to high-five and then to hug them before speaking a few words, which by the passion in his eyes, clearly came from the heart. Most managers keep their distance, this manager was straight into the middle of it.
As milk turned to ice cream in the next few weeks, the sight of a possessed Tuchel taking over the field became a familiar thing. For a rake-thin individual, this 47-year-old has some presence about him.
He'd wear a smile from one ear to the other and as the wins accumulated, it was the sight of potentially disgruntled subs like Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson Odoi smiling back that stuck with you. Chelsea were onto something good here.
You delve deeper into the German's grounding as a coach and the revelation that "respect, appreciation, punctuality and the right mindset with coaches and fellow players" was at the heart of it struck a chord. The word is that firm handshakes, greetings and eye contact were the subject of one of his first discussions with the Chelsea players, as he went about creating his own culture at the West London club.
https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/status/1390048960065196045
Which brings us to last night. It was then when Tuchel added Zinedine Zidane to the illustrious list of managers that his Chelsea team have now bested, a list that includes no duds in Guardiola, Mourinho, Klopp, Simeone and Ancelotti.
It was at the age of 24, with a pair of dodgy knees calling the shots, when Thomas Tuchel had to give up on his footballing dream. It was during the late nights of his business degree when he could get back to his real passion, as he obsessed over football coaching formulas and ideas.
It was last night when he let it all out with a big yelp of joy on the Stamford Bridge pitch. It will be on May 29 when this student might become the master.
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