Antonio Rudiger has urged Chelsea to put a stop to their hire and fire policy when it comes to managers and stick by Thomas Tuchel.
The former Paris Saint-Germain and Dortmund boss delivered a top-four finish and Champions League glory in his first season at Stamford Bridge, but his second season has been much more tricky to navigate.
The London side faltered in their title challenge, while they lost in the finals of both domestic cup competitions.
Meanwhile, off the pitch, sanctions imposed on Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government have had a huge impact on how the Blues has had to be run.
A deal to complete the sale of Chelsea is said to be edging closer, with the consortium led by Todd Boehly primed to take over.
Rudger, who will leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires, is hoping the new owners trust the process under Tuchel.
‘I hope for this club that the mentality changes of sacking coaches so early when success is not there,’ Rudiger told The Times. ‘I like to trust the process and, with this coach, you can see there is a process.
‘Chelsea can be very proud to have a coach like this. The way he handled himself. The way he handled things in those tough moments, you have to give him kudos for that, you have to give him credit for that.
‘With all this noise around and everything the way he managed us, to go out there in Santiago Bernabéu with all that was going on and to deliver something like this [beating Real Madrid away but being eliminated from the Champions League in extra time] you have to give him credit for that.
‘For me, he is a phenomenal coach. He is up there with Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp.’
