Thomas Tuchel Bizarrely Introduces ‘Football Curling’ Into Chelsea’s Pre-Match Training

Thomas Tuchel did his best to keep his Chelsea players relaxed ahead of the Champions League final as he oddly mimed some curling-style sweeping during the players' passing drills.

The German boss made reference to niche Winter Olympic sport curling - where teams rapidly sweep a broom beneath a hefty stone to let it travel quicker and straighter across the ice - while his Chelsea squad were trying to complete a tricky passing challenge on the pitch in Porto, ahead of their clash with Manchester City.

As one pass didn't quite make it, Tuchel bent over with the pole he was holding and mocked frantically scrubbing the pitch.

It certainly got the Chelsea team laughing, particularly goalkeeper Edouard Mendy (although it was possibly let's-laugh-at-the-boss-even-though-we-don't-get-the-joke type chuckles).

We didn't actually realise that curling was such a popular pastime in Germany. The Scottish sport is a big deal in Canada and various other colder-climate countries.

It involves sliding a granite stone across the ice towards a target, and the competitor who unleashed the stone can shout "sweep!" to encourage their broom-wielding teammates to polish the path if they want the stone to travel that bit further before coming to a stop.

As Chelsea boss Tuchel is clearly all too aware.

The 47-year-old is clearly determined to create a happy, light-hearted atmosphere around the camp before the crunch match with City.

A day before Saturday's evening kick-off, Tuchel was filmed doing what appeared to be an impression of Pep Guardiola on his hotel balcony to the amusement of his coaching staff.

So it's curling and Pep impressions so far. A live jazz flute solo and a magic show are surely next to come as Tuchel shows us all of his many skills before kick-off.

Featured image credit: BT Sport/Twitter