Tuchel focused on Aston Villa game, not Champions League final

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Thomas Tuchel says he is trying to keep his Chelsea squad concentrated on finishing the Premier League season strongly rather than this month’s Champions League final.

The Blues are away to Aston Villa on the final day of the campaign and three points will guarantee a top-four finish, regardless of other results.


With a showpiece Champions League final to look forward to, Tuchel has reaffirmed his desire to keep the players grounded.

“It’s hard to believe but there’s no space for planning [ahead]. You cannot get distracted and once you take a breath for too long, you lose straightaway,” the head coach said.

“We had this experience some matches ago after a big match against Real Madrid. Two days later we went to Manchester City and won. Everybody took a little bit of a breath and we lost against Arsenal.

“Maybe we got carried away in planning too much ahead. We had to play Arsenal, then three days later a cup final, then two days after another match.”

Tuchel also confirmed that he is not close to deciding a starting lineup for the Champions League final, which takes place on May 29.

“It’s best to do it step by step. As boring as it sounds, it’s the most difficult thing to do,” he said.

“We have no concerns, no video footage, no lineup even close in my head for the Man City game. It’s all about Aston Villa.”