In the early hours of Wednesday morning (7), UEFA Europa League Group E played host to a surprise upset. Croatian powerhouse Dinamo Zagreb beat 2021 UEFA Champions Chelsea 1-0 at home. Just as Chelsea manager Ducao had just completed the 100th game of his coaching career, he suffered the tragedy of being fired by the team.
Chelsea had a chance to break the deadlock in the match when Xaviers crossed from the left but Aubameyang missed the chance to score. Dinamo Zagreb striker Misnav Kersey then broke Chelsea's lead with a solo goal in the 13th minute. Although Chelsea still had plenty of time to equalize, luck did not seem to be on their side, including a goal by Aubameyang that was ruled offside. In the 86th minute, Lyszczans shot hit the crossbar and Chelsea lost all three points.
Although Chelsea had 15 shots on goal, 9 more than their opponents, they unfortunately failed to convert them into goals, and the lack of grasping power was the key to the loss. This is also the first time for Chelsea to suffer three consecutive defeats on the road since Ducao took charge of Chelsea. After the match, Ducao said, "I am angry with the team's performance and disappointed with myself, we obviously had good training and preparation but failed to play at the right level, I need to take responsibility, so I am also angry with myself."
Surprisingly, Chelsea invested a whopping 278 million euros in player acquisitions this summer, making it one of the biggest clubs in Europe's top five leagues in terms of spending on reinforcements. However, the results have not been as expected, losing three of their last five games, and the club's hierarchy is losing patience. After releasing a statement on Wednesday, the club officially parted ways with Ducao and thanked him and his coaching staff for their contributions. Assistant coach Anthony Barrie is currently acting as head coach for the time being, and the club is actively searching for a new head coach. According to the British media, Bradenton boss Park Dar, Benfica coach Roger Schmidt, as well as former Real Madrid boss Schiedam and former Saint-Germain coach Poujettenu will be the candidates for the new manager, with Park Dar seen as the first choice.
Ducao, 49, took over at Chelsea in January 2021 and led the team to 60 wins, 24 draws and 16 defeats in 100 matches, with the crowning achievement being helping the team to the UEFA Europa League title in that term.
In the other match of the group, AC Milan drew 1-1 with Salzburg away from home thanks to a goal from Shalimaikas.
Tuco Coaching Chelsea Profile:
Coaching period: January 26, 2021 to September 7, 2022
Championship honors: 1 UEFA Champion, 1 UEFA Super Cup Champion, 1 World Cup Champion
