90min

Thomas Tuchel insists he is committed to 'pushing' Chelsea academy graduates

By Matt O'Connor-Simpson

Tuchel has often gone for experience over youth so far
Tuchel has often gone for experience over youth so far / Pool/Getty Images
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Thomas Tuchel has vowed to "never stop pushing the guys from the academy" during his time as Chelsea manager.

After replacing Frank Lampard at the end of January, Tuchel has made an unbeaten start to life as Blues boss, although his side's fixtures have been relatively straightforward to date. Since taking over the German has also reintegrated a number of senior players, such as Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso, back into the first team.

Alonso is enjoying a new lease of life in west London
Alonso is enjoying a new lease of life in west London / Julian Finney/Getty Images

However, speaking to BT Sport before his side's Champions League round of 16 fixture against Atletico Madrid, Tuchel insisted that he was committed to developing the club's young stars - many of whom thrived under Lampard.

"I will never stop pushing the guys from the academy," he said. "I will never judge from how much a player costs or how much he earns. For me, if I am a fan of any club, I want to see youngsters and if you look at the big teams in Europe who are dominant, like Barcelona or Manchester United, you can name them.

"They can create a special bond between the club and the supporters and the atmosphere around the team. If you see these guys from the academy and it creates something special, you can achieve maybe more than if you just buy and buy and buy. This is football. It is also about soul and feeling."

Reports suggested that one of the main reasons Tuchel was offered the reigns at Stamford Bridge was that the Blues hierarchy believe he is the right man to get the best out of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.

The former PSG boss addressed the underwhelming form of both players, saying: "They have strong talent and strong potential. I think they made a brave decision to go abroad, to jump out of their comfort zone.

"Timo was the top guy in Leipzig, Kai was the go-to guy in Leverkusen. To go to the most demanding league in Europe, to go to a club like Chelsea where people demand results and people expect titles, it is a huge step out of your comfort zone."

He added: "At the same time the club demands a lot of them and I can understand. They spent a lot of money so it is time to step up and fight for it. "

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