Chelsea manager was named Germany’s Coach of the Year 2021, after he led the Blues to their second Champions League title. Tuchel beat countrymen Edin Terzic and Hansi Flick to claim the prize.
“I accept the award very gratefully as a great honor for the entire team because I see myself as a team player,”
“I don’t believe in individual awards too much, I truly believe it is a team effort, not only the players on the pitch everybody loves but the team behind the team. I don’t do this alone. I do it with my staff, not only my German and Hungarian staff but all the people at Cobham.
“Football teams can win without the coaches, but coaches cannot win without the team. It’s a reward for the team and what we did, and now let’s get on.”
Tuchel said.
Tuchel won the prize for the first time in his career, beating last year’s winner Hansi Flick by 11 points. The Chelsea coach garnered 129 votes from German football journalists to be named the best tactician from his country. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp remains the most decorated coach in the award’s history and Felix Magath. Both of them have won the prize three times since it was first awarded in 2002.
Tuchel, who was let go by Paris Saint Germain midway through last season, took over Chelsea on January 26, 2021. The German replaced recently sacked club legend Frank Lampard in the dugouts, and in four months, led the team to a Champions League title. Along the way, Tuchel beat Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid twice, Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid once, and finally, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for the crown.
Chelsea finished fourth in the league, five places above where Tuchel found them when he took over. The Blues also lost the FA Cup final against Leicester City, ending their hopes of a cup double.
