Timo Werner slams ex-boss Thomas Tuchel for playing Lukaku in front of him

Former Chelsea player Timo Werner has slammed ex-boss Thomas Tuchel for forgetting his achievements and putting a striker like Lukaku in front of him when he was in form.

“When you come from the kind of success I had in Germany or with Chelsea — playing nearly every game in the first season, winning the Champions League in 2021, scoring in the semi-final against Real Madrid, making a lot of goals," Werner told The Sun.

“Then all this gets a little bit forgotten by the manager, it was not really fair. That was also a reason I had to move back to Leipzig, to get the enjoyment again," added Werner.

Werner, who now plies his trade for Bundesliga clubRB Leipzig said parachuting a player like Lukaku in front of him in the attack was one of the toughest moments of his Chelsea career.

"The biggest problem was he put a striker like Lukaku in front of me in the second season after I won the Champions League by nearly playing every game in the first squad."

“That was the toughest moment for me to get a player, a very good player, in front of me for 120 million euros. Romelu was a big striker and had to play after costing so much and I didn’t feel honoured enough."

Werner admitted it was normal that managers liked some players more than others and that he had to 'accept' the fact.

Werner's high-profile move to Chelsea

The 26-year-old made his high-profile move to Chelsea in 2020 for a reported fee of $56 million after tearing up the Bundesliga, scoring 34 times while assisting on 15 occasions, playing 45 matches.

Werner opted to play at Stamford Bridge despite interest from Bayern Munich, Liverpool and several other clubs. However, his stint for the London club did not go as planned. Werner found the back of the net only 10 times in 56 league appearances.

Werner could not adjust to the demands of the league and often received flak from fans and pundits alike for his sloppy finishing.

(With inputs from agencies)

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