Tuchel criticises Chelsea's appeal to have Boro cup tie without fans

Thomas Tuchel has criticised Chelsea's request to play their FA Cup quarter-final against Middlesbrough this weekend behind closed doors.

On Tuesday, the Blues asked the FA for the fixture to go ahead without fans 'for matters of sporting integrity' after they were not allowed to sell any more away tickets for the match due to the sanctions placed on owner Roman Abramovich.

However, they withdrew their appeal just hours later following talks with the governing body and amid backlash from Boro.

Tuchel was asked about the request after Chelsea's 2-1 win over Lille on Wednesday night and sought to distance himself from the saga.

'Let me put it like this,' he said. 'We love to play in front of spectators and I don't think our opponents should suffer from the consequences.

'It was not the very best idea. Me and the team were not involved in this decision.'

Chelsea had sold 650 tickets out of their initial away allocation of 4,620 at the Riverside when the UK government issued a licence which restricted the club from selling tickets after freezing the assets of Abramovich.

The Blues believed they were at a sporting disadvantage as a result and 'with extreme reluctance' appealed for the game to be played behind closed doors.

Middlesbrough said that the 'bizarre' request was 'without any merit whatsoever', while chairman Steve Gibson told The Athletic: 'Chelsea and sporting integrity do not belong in the same sentence'.