Chelsea will play the second leg of their Champions League second leg against Atletico Madrid tonight with one of Tuchel’s former charges revealing everything
Thomas Tuchel has already had a huge impact at Chelsea but one of his former players, Germany international Andreas Beck, says the best is yet to come.
When Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as coach on January 26, the Blues were 10th in the Premier League table, with their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League quickly fading after scoring just seven points in their previous eight games.
However, Chelsea are now in fourth place thanks to a 10-game unbeaten streak in the league that has seen everyone connect with the club by singing the praises of their new boss.
Beck, however, is not at all surprised. He played under Tuchel at the youth level and never had the slightest doubt that his compatriot had the quality and character required to succeed at the highest level.
“When I came to Stuttgart, Thomas was the Under-13 coach,” says Beck. Goal. “Then when we became U19 champions, he was an assistant coach. At that point, it was like a relationship with an older brother, even though he was 10 years older than me.
“After that I became a professional player in Stuttgart and Hoffenheim, when he coached Mainz and then Dortmund. We have faced each other so many times.
“Even now we sometimes text each other. I love the way he has developed his career. He’s one of the best. He’s a special character with a unique energy. He was focused on making it happen. to be a world class trainer and he has become just that.
“He’s now managing some of the greatest teams in the world and yet I still feel like he’s just started his career and still has everything ahead of him.
“I really admire his brain. Thomas was one of the best coaches I have had. He teaches players how to play, tactically and technically. Then there is his psychological coaching, which is very demanding. He asks you to give your all.
“Some coaches say, ‘Go on and have fun’ but Thomas says, ‘Have fun but give it your all. “It’s the mentality to make champions and win titles. It was the mentality I took with me when I won my titles in Stuttgart and Besiktas, it’s the same mentality as teams like Bayern Munich.
“Yes, you are having fun and enjoying yourself, but Tuchel is about to do it, to fight for it until you are exhausted and ask yourself to take advantage of this process. Thomas even asked the kids that. , and he asked it every day, “ Okay, do your simple passing drills, but always approach them like it’s the last pass of your career.
“I had the feeling he was still focusing on the group. You have to respect the group, the team was the main one and it required a lot of discipline.
“Each session was intense. It was hard work but you had to give your all to be successful.
“It’s not the easiest approach for a coach to be so demanding and always ask for 100%. Not all players like it. But that’s what I remember about Thomas and what I respected about her. “
It always brought the best of Beck, who also really enjoyed playing under the very influential Ralf Rangnick when he was in charge of Hoffenheim.
This is not surprising, of course, given that it was Rangnick who brought Tuchel to Stuttgart in the first place.
“They have similarities but they are also two different characters,” says Beck. “Ralf has been one of the most important people in my career. He taught me a lot. He is also very demanding.
“When Ralf joined the Bundesliga he definitely broke new ground. We played this incredible pressing game with Hoffenheim.
“It was an attacking style, with no time to breathe. We were always chasing the ball and in our first Bundesliga season we fought for first place even though no one knew Hoffenheim.
“We played Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund at home, we won 4-1, and I remember Klopp said afterwards, ‘We have to play like this! “
“Ralf likes to bring in good players, but he says you then have to write software for them. He is also involved in all parts of the club to make them work together.
“What happened at Hoffenheim then happened at RB Leipzig; that is his whole idea. Ralf has a legacy and people will remember him.
“He innovated, wanted to change things and now you see Dortmund and Bayern Munich are chasing the ball. Manchester City are also doing it with Pep Guardiola.”
Despite his seven-year stay in Hoffenheim, Beck jumped at the chance to make a dream come true by playing outside of Germany and is now on his second time abroad, in Belgium with Eupen, after spending two years. in Turkey, in Besiktas.
However, he also received offers from some big European clubs during his career.
“Lyon were interested and there had been discussions,” Beck continued. “I know Newcastle had discussions and then there was a period where Ralf had left Hoffenheim and my future was uncertain.
“I had an offer from Juventus but we couldn’t close the deal. The contract was there but I waited until the summer and new manager Antonio Conte wanted players who knew the Italian league. , so it didn’t happen. “
“I renewed my contract several times and became captain for five years, so I didn’t regret it. But that’s why when the offer for a big club like Besiktas, even though it wasn’t in such a big league, It was an amazing team and offer and the right decision to go there.
“I’m 34 now, so time flies. I appreciate it in Eupen because I know that someday it will be over.”