Chelsea‘s vice-captain Jorginho has said the players “are responsible” for the departure of Thomas Tuchel last week.
Tuchel was relieved of his duties last Wednesday, the day after his team suffered a shock 1-0 defeat away to Dinamo Zagreb in their opening game of this season’s Champions League.
Chelsea appointed Graham Potter as their new manager the following day and Jorginho said the squad was shocked by Tuchel’s sacking but added the squad must take part of the blame.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)
“Of course, we had a great time with Thomas and appreciate what he does for us, the fans and everyone,” Jorginho told a news conference on Tuesday ahead of their Champions League game against FC Salzburg.
“It was a surprise for everyone. What has been said between the players will stay there, sorry.”
He added: “Of course [the players are also responsible], we are a team. It is not one person responsible for what happened. We are the team as a group on the pitch, so of course, we are responsible for what happened.
“We tried to do what we could and where it could go better. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working. The challenge now is to rebuild confidence.”
