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Thomas Tuchel has handled Chelsea crisis brilliantly

Chelsea are in uncharted waters; English football is reeling. Years of turning a blind eye to the origins and intentions behind big business transactions are beginning to sting. Everybody is aware of the real story from which this sporting strand has arisen; in comparison, it almost feels in bad taste to fixate on it. The only thing that matters where Russia and its invasion of Ukraine is concerned is how the people at the heart of the conflict are able to stay safe.

But sport and politics are intertwined; for years, beneficiaries of their mergence have insisted any links should not be dwelled upon. But here we are, unable to separate them, picking up the pieces of an unholy mess due to the direct links between the two. Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich, has been sanctioned by both the UK government and the European Union amid accusations of close ties to the Kremlin and Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin. That means his assets have been frozen; Chelsea, who he owns a 100% stake in, are not exempt. Though they have been given a special license to ensure their games can be played and staff can be paid, they are unable to buy or sell players, offer any new contracts, or even sell tickets and items from the club shop.

Only season ticket holders will be able to attend matches under the conditions of the license, and travel arrangements had been capped at £20,000, at least until this week. The story has had quite an incredible ripple effect, and although Chelsea as a club garnered a sense of sympathy early on, that has slowly withered away, particularly since they asked for their FA Cup quarter-final tie at Middlesbrough this weekend to be played behind closed doors to protect “sporting integrity”. Needless to say, after a hefty backlash, led by Middlesbrough themselves, the request was withdrawn before it could be formally denied.

It shows how deep the issue is that an outbreak of war in Europe has forced football to tackle the issue of ownership on this scale. There have been arguments around Abramovich since he arrived in 2003, just as there have been about Manchester City and Abu Dhabi and most recently Newcastle United and Saudi Arabia. But never has anything been done to deny those behind the controversy access or ability to partake in ‘sportswashing’. Maybe this is a seminal moment, but once again, football fans, and the professionals fronting these clubs, have been caught in the middle.

Perhaps it could be argued that they are fully aware of the situation and choose to get on with it, particularly the players and managers involved. When Chelsea faced Newcastle on Sunday, the build up and aftermath were dominated by political issues. Blues boss Thomas Tuchel was confronted by the ongoing Abramovich situation; Eddie Howe, his Newcastle counterpart, was asked about 81 executions in Saudi Arabia.

What is the answer? This situation is difficult, because obviously neither man should be the spokespeople on issues such as these, but equally, their positions require it, or else it plays into the idea that sportswashing, using sport to hide the true nature of a regime, works. It puts both men in an almost impossible place; other managers, like Everton’s Frank Lampard and Pep Guardiola have commented on the current landscape of management; it is expected that questions are dealt with properly.

But going back to the original point, it isn’t their area of expertise. Nobody can expect them to have the answers, and it is more an indictment of the current situation within the game. Howe mentioned this in his pre-Everton press conferences after insisting to sticking with football when asked beforehand, resulting in a lot of criticism.

The way Tuchel has tackled the questions has kept the heat off him a lot more. Both he and Howe are in different situations, but the way he has managed to convey the seriousness of what is going on has been impressive. Although he has bitten back at journalists and claimed he’s not a politician, the manner in which he has kept his own voice and made clear his support for Ukraine and how that matters above all else that is going on is admirable. When confronted by Chelsea fans chanting Abramovich’s name during a moment of solidarity for Ukraine in a win at Burnley, he didn’t shirk the issue and criticised the away end for partaking in that activity.

Expecting managers to have all the answers is completely unrealistic. But at the same time, they have to be ready to face the questions. They represent clubs and by extension whatever owners are involved. Whilst they are cornered to a degree, what they can do is show awareness; closing the question entirely only gives off the impression of complicity. They have to learn quickly in this day and age.

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