Tuchel ‘proud’ of Chelsea despite Champions League heartbreak

Chelsea’s German coach Thomas Tuchel reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarter final second leg football match between Real Madrid CF and Chelsea FC at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 12, 2022. (Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)

Thomas Tuchel hailed his “special team” after Chelsea’s reign as European champions came to an agonising end, with his task now to lift his players for a crucial FA Cup semi-final this weekend.

The Blues had one foot in the Champions League semi-finals at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday after staging a stunning comeback to wipe out Madrid’s 3-1 lead from the first leg of the last-eight tie.

Mason Mount, Antonio Rudiger and Timo Werner put the reigning European champions on the brink of an historic victory.

But Real’s veteran midfielder Luka Modric produced a moment of magic to set up Rodrygo, and Karim Benzema headed in the winner, meaning the 13-time European champions progressed 5-4 on aggregate after extra-time.

It is a bitter disappointment for Chelsea, who have managed to maintain their focus over the past two months despite swirling off-field distractions.

German boss Tuchel, whose team beat Manchester City in last year’s Champions League final, said his players could not have given “one single percent more” in Madrid.

“We played a fantastic match,” he said. “We deserved what we had. We scored four goals (one was disallowed), we had big chances to score more. We were unlucky. We got beaten by pure individual quality and offensive conversion.”

He added: “We were very disciplined on the ball, and very active off the ball. We showed a lot of courage, and from there we showed the quality. It was the right way to do it. I am very happy. This is the way to go forward.

“If we have