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Kepa and Rudiger 'were impressive and showed character' to make peace after Chelsea training row, says Tuchel
The Blues duo were reported to have come together in a fracas on Sunday, in the wake of the club's first loss under the German against West Brom
Thomas Tuchel says that Kepa Arrizabalaga and Antonio Rudiger "showed character" to make up following what was described as a major training ground bust-up ahead of Chelsea's Champions League quarter-final encounter with Porto.
The Blues duo came together in a fracas on Sunday in the wake of the club's first loss under the German against West Brom the day before, forcing their manager to intervene.
But the ex-Paris Saint-Germain boss has revealed that no further action will be taken after he was left impressed by the way the pair resolved their differences following the altercation.
What did Tuchel say?
“It got heated up between Toni and Kepa,” the manager told his pre-match press conference. “We calmed the situation down immediately. These are things we don’t want to accept, but they can happen. They are all competitors and want to win training matches.
“The [initial] reaction was not OK. But the reaction to it, how the guys handled the situation, was amazing and showed how much respect they have for each other. They sorted it out straight after training in a very honest, humble and very direct way.
“Don’t get me wrong, it was serious. Sometimes you have little situations when you look away and let them sort things out. This was not the case. We needed to interfere in this situation so it was serious. How the guys handled the situation was impressive and showed a lot of character.”
What happened in the incident?
During drills on Sunday, Rudiger reportedly came in on Kepa with a late challenge that left the shot-stopper fuming, sparking a pushing match between the two.
Tuchel was forced to break the spat up and ordered the defender back to the dressing room with five minutes to go before the end of the training session.
It followed a particularly trying result that saw the Blues damage their chances to secure Champions League football next season, after Sam Allardyce's unexpectedly inspired relegation contenders got the better of them 5-2.
Chelsea's week in focus
The Stamford Bridge outfit face a busy seven-day schedule as they look to bounce back from the humiliation of their defeat to the Baggies, particularly after West Ham leapfrogged them into fourth place.
They will first face Porto in an all-important European last-eight tie, with a trip to neutral Seville to face the Portuguese heavyweights due to Covid-19 restrictions.
A clash with Crystal Palace then follows, allowing Tuchel the chance to immediately resume his top-four charge in the Premier League, before his side then return to Spain for the second leg of their Champions League tie.
