Thomas Tuchel

World-class football coach Thomas Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea in his debut season after being appointed in 2021. Tuchel joined the Blues from Paris Saint-German, where he won a domestic quadruple, two league titles and guided the club to its first ever UEFA Champions League final. Before his success at PSG, the Chelsea boss honed his craft with Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.

Born in Krumbach, West Germany, Tuchel was a defender by trade and kicked off his playing career at Augsburg youth academy. He went on to play 68 times for SSV Ulm before a serious knee injury forced him to hang up his boots for good at the early age of 24. Keen to prove himself as a success away from the pitch, he studied Business Administration at university whilst also holding down a job in a bar.

The future Chelsea coach was lured back into football by Ralf Rangnick and became youth team coach at VfB Stuttgart, demonstrating his promise on the touchline as he guided the under-19 side to the Under 19 Bundesliga title in the 2004–05 season, also aiding in the development of future first team players including Holger Badstuber and Mario Gómez. Tuchel’s man management skills and tactical shrewdness sparked his rapid ascent up the ladder, and in summer 2009 he caught the attention of the German Football Association for a role as U21 assistant coach. In the end, the Bundesliga was too strong a pull for Tuchel and in August 2009 he was named as Mainz first team coach.

Tuchel established himself as the most successful coach in the history of Mainz before leaving for stints at Dortmund and PSG. Since taking over at Chelsea he has worked wonders, already guiding the Blues to victory in the Champions League.