Football
James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC 3y

Thomas Tuchel hints at Chelsea extension after Champions League triumph

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has hinted he may be close to extending his contract after guiding the Blues to only the second Champions League title in their history.

Saturday's 1-0 win over Manchester City in Porto secured a stunning end to a campaign in which they secured a top-four finish in the Premier League and reached the FA Cup Final.

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Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as head coach in January on an 18-month deal and has surpassed all expectations given Chelsea were ninth in the Premier League when he took charge.

Owner Roman Abramovich attended the Estadio do Dragao to witness the Blues' success with Tuchel revealing their conversation on the pitch as the team celebrated the first time they had met.

When asked by ESPN whether talks would soon begin on a contract extension, Tuchel said: "I'm not even 100% sure but maybe I have a new contract now with that win. It can be. My manager said something about it but I do not know. Let's check this first.

"I spoke to the owner right now on the pitch. I think it was the best moment for a first meeting. Or the worst as from now on it can only get worse!

"We will speak [more] later and tomorrow and I'm looking forward to this. I can assure him I'll stay hungry, that I want the next title, I feel absolutely happy and part of a really ambitious club and a strong group that suits my beliefs and passions about football in this moment perfectly.

"My desire is to go for more victories, my desire is to push the group from the first day of next season to the limit. We have work to do to close the gap and this is what I am all about.

"It will be nice to meet him a bit closer. We are in contact, not personal, but we are in constant contact. He knows what's going on from me directly. It was nice to meet him."

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