Thomas Tuchel sacked: Chelsea fans stunned; Aubameyang's 59-minute partnership mocked

In what has sparked a massive social media outburst, Chelsea on Wednesday sacked manager Thomas Tuchel following the Blues 1-0 defeat in the Champions League clash against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday.

Tuchel guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in his debut season and followed the club's monumental victory by lifting the European Super Cup and Club World Cup. The German head coach also led the Blues to the FA Cup and Carabao Cup final last term, losing against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on both occasions. After reaching a century in charge of the west London club, Chelsea announced they had parted company with Tuchel.

Also read: Thomas Tuchel sacked: Who will take over as Chelsea manager? A look at top 4 contenders

"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," Chelsea said in a statement.
 
"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," the statement added.

The German's sacking comes just three months after new owner Todd Boehly took over the business at Stamford Bridge and days after Chelsea signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona. The Gabonese superstar and Tuchel enjoyed a stellar partnership in Borussia Dortmund, and fans hoped to see the two recreate the magic they once delivered.

On Tuesday, Aubameyang played for 59 minutes against Dinamo Zagreb but failed to impact the scoresheet. The Gabon international under Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund scored 56 Bundesliga goals in 63 games over two seasons. That relationship ended when Dortmund fired the German after the 2016–17 campaign. The striker subsequently joined Arsenal in the winter transfer window of 2018 for a then-club-record 60 million pounds, and he immediately made an impact with ten league goals in only 12 starts.

However, Aubameyang's goal ratio dipped drastically over four seasons and culminated with his removal as club captain for disciplinary reasons before leaving Emirates by mutual consent six weeks later and joining Barcelona on a free transfer. The flashy forward exploded onto the La Liga scene last season, averaging nearly one goal per game and enabling the Catalan club to advance from fifth place to finish second to rival Real Madrid.

However, despite continued controversy over their haste to raise money and sign new players, including former Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, Barca has been active in the transfer market this summer. The La Liga giants opened the door for the Gabonese to leave the club after only seven months at Camp Nou. Having collaborated successfully for the two years that ended five years ago, Aubameyang would have fit perfectly with Tuchel's objectives. However, that partnership lasted for only an hour in Croatia last night, leaving fans utterly disappointed.

Also read: UCL 2022-23: 'Didn't see it coming; was in the wrong movie' - Tuchel on Chelsea's loss to Zagreb

Here's a look at how fans reacted to Thomas Tuchel's sacking, with some users noting the Aubameyang angle to otherwise disappointing news: