Former Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel says he plans to ‘take a break’ from football after reportedly rejecting an immediate return to the Premier League with Aston Villa, speaking to Sport Star.
A club of Aston Villa’s ambition and resources were never going to settle for anyone but the very best.
After the Steven Gerrard experiment blew up in their faces, Villa owners Nayef Sawiris and Wes Edens set their sights on a proven, elite-level tactician capable of harnessing a talented and expensively-assembled squad.
Ruben Amorim, Mauricio Pochettino and 2021 Champions League winner Tuchel, for instance. None of the aforementioned trio seemed particularly enamoured about taking over a side at the wrong end of the Premier League table, however. L’Equipe say that Tuchel rebuffed their advances despite the offer of a hefty wage and a sizeable transfer warchest.
Aston Villa looked at Thomas Tuchel before hiring Unai Emery
“I haven’t made a decision (on my future) yet,” explains Tuchel; now enjoying some well-earned time off in India.
“It is now time for me to take a break. Some clubs have been calling my agent. But we agreed that he would not call me here for these past 18 days.”
Tuchel, who was replaced by Graham Potter at Chelsea following a difficult start to the new campaign, was also a target for German giants Bayer Leverkusen. Die Werkself have since handed the reigns to ex-Liverpool and Spain playmaker Xabi Alonso.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, will welcome Unai Emery back to the Premier League stage when Manchester United come to town on Saturday. The four-time Europa League winner returns with a point to prove following that ill-fated 16 months spell at at Arsenal.
Emery has signed a three-and-a-half year contract at Villa Park. The 50-year-old walked away from Villarreal last week following a respectable seventh place finish in the 2021/22 La Liga season.
“I had to take it. As a sporting challenge, as a different project,” Emery tells Sky Sports. “It is a personal and professional decision.”
Aston Villa are 16th in the Premier League table, with seven defeats from 13 match. They were hammered 4-0 by Newcastle United on Saturday; Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron running riot at St James’ Park. And, in Erik Ten Hag’s Man United, Emery’s first game comes against one of the division’s form sides.
Emery, however, inherits a squad capable of far more.
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