Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel has criticized the club over their request to have Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Middlesbrough played behind closed-doors.
According to him, “it was not the very best idea.”
The Blues initially asked the FA to play at the Riverside Stadium without fans, after they were barred from selling tickets to their own supporters.
Chelsea had sold around 600 tickets for the match before last Thursday’s government intervention.
But after huge outrage led by the Championship club, the Blues backed down.
Speaking after their Champions League round of 16, second-leg win at Lille, Tuchel said: “That was our responsibility, not mine or from the team. Let me put it like this: we love to play in front of spectators and I don’t think spectators from our opponents should suffer from the consequences.
“I think the proposal was withdrawn and it was absolutely the right thing to do because that was from our side and hopefully it was not meant like this. It was not the very best idea, to put it like this. We love to play in front of spectators.
“Me, actually, and the team, were not involved in this decision and I am happy it was withdrawn, very happy.”
