Antonio Rudiger has revealed his 'surprise' at Chelsea's decision to sack Thomas Tuchel after 'he did the impossible' with the club.
Chelsea announced following a 1-0 defeat in the Champions League to Dinamo Zagreb that the German would no longer be head coach.
Despite under two years in charge, the Blues made the decision early on in the Premier League season to sack the 47-year-old.
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The day after it was announced that Graham Potter, the Brighton & Hove Albion manager, would be replacing Tuchel.
In his time at Chelsea, Tuchel lifted the Champions League, Super Cup, Club World Cup and got his side to the FA Cup final twice.
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This season however has started poorly, currently the Blues are seventh in the Premier League table.
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With Potter coming in as his successor the hope will be that spirits are lifted and that they can start performing again.
He took charge of his first game as Chelsea boss against FC Salzburg and drew 1-1, but the mood has been raised in the camp.
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There were a lot of additions this summer and things have not quite gelled as hoped.
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The departures of some key players have made it difficult, even though replacements have come in for the likes of Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, there is still work to be done.
The German centre-back in particular emerged as a crucial part of the Chelsea team under Tuchel.
His free transfer to Real Madrid though left a hole as he was such a big presence.
The 29-year-old has given his verdict on the decision Chelsea made to sack Tuchel.
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Speaking to SPORT1 he said: "First they let him get new players, only to let him go after a few games.
"I was surprised at the speed. The day of his release was a sad one for me. I wrote to him afterwards and thank him again for everything."
He continued: "He was there for everyone, not just me. If you look at where he came from and where he took us, he did the impossible.
"But you know how it is in football. Sometimes you're the hero, sometimes you're the bogeyman."
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It was an upsetting dismissal given what the German achieved at Chelsea, but the Blues will now back Potter to succeed in the long-term.
Topics: Chelsea, Antonio Rudiger, Real Madrid, Thomas Tuchel, Football