‘We wanted to play with no regrets’- Thomas Tuchel claims after Chelsea beat Palmeiras to win FIFA Club World Cup
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has labelled the Blues’ Club World Cup final victory as ‘deserved but lucky’ as they became Champions of the World. They beat South American champions Palmeiras 2-1 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
A Romelu Lukaku opener was cancelled out by Raphael Vega before Kai Havertz won it in extra-time.
Speaking to Channel 4 after the match, Tuchel gave his verdict on the victory
Reflecting on the game, he said: “In the end, if you score late you need luck. We were relentless, we were trying. We did not stop. We took the effort, did not give in, had the lead and lost it. We never stopped attacking, it’s deserved but lucky.
“As boys we dreamed to have finals like this, very special. We wanted to play with no regrets.”
Chelsea were nowhere near their best despite dominating in possession. Lukaku’s opener was deserved, however, before a Palmeiras penalty handed them a lifeline.
The Brazilian outfit were dangerous on the counter-attack but Chelsea’s defence were never really troubled before heading into extra-time.
A handball saw Chelsea awarded a penalty with five minutes to go and Havertz stepped up to convert, adding to his Champions League final goal.
Tuchel continued to heap praise on the German, he said: “He does not look nervous but you cannot be not nervous in a moment like this.
“He knows what’s at stake. He has a good record with shooting in 90 minutes, today was in 120. We trusted the statistics. I’m happy for him.”
