Thomas Tuchel sack 'to cost Chelsea £15m'

The 49-year-old took charge of his 100th game for the Blues on Tuesday night, but it ended in despair as Dinamo Zagreb ran out 1-0 winners in their Champions League opener.

Less than 24 hours after the game, Chelsea announced that Tuchel had been sacked from his post - a decision that was supposedly made prior to the midweek European loss.

"On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the Club would like to place on record its 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," a club statement read.

"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."

Tuchel's contract at Stamford Bridge was not due to expire until the end of the 2023-24 season, and he was reported to have been in talks over a two-year extension just weeks before his departure.

According to the Daily Mail, the German was paid a lucrative £13m yearly salary at Chelsea, and the severance package could reach up to £15m when taking into account the exits of his backroom staff.

However, the report adds that Tuchel's payout will expire early if the former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain head coach quickly finds a new job in the game.

Owner Todd Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali were supposedly concerned about the "atmosphere" within the first-team squad, and the 4-0 pre-season thrashing at the hands of Arsenal raised alarm bells.

Tuchel supposedly pleaded with the Chelsea chiefs to give him more time to turn his side's season around, but he was left "totally shocked" when told he was being relieved of his duties at Cobham.

A tally of 10 points from six Premier League fixtures so far has left Chelsea sixth in the table at this early stage - five points adrift of current table-toppers Arsenal.

Tuchel leaves Chelsea having posted a record of 60 wins, 24 draws and 16 losses from a century of games in charge, winning the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup since taking over from Frank Lampard in January 2021.

The Blues are now thought to be on the verge of confirming Brighton & Hove Albion boss Graham Potter as Tuchel's successor, and an announcement could take place later on Thursday.

Mauricio Pochettino, Ruben Amorim and Zinedine Zidane have also been linked with the Old Trafford vacancy, but Potter has now reportedly agreed to take charge in the English capital.

The 47-year-old could potentially be in place for Saturday's West London derby with Fulham at Craven Cottage, but Chelsea's coaching staff are currently taking training sessions ahead of the Premier League clash.