Emotional Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel snaps over questions on Ukraine and owner Roman Abramovich

An emotional Thomas Tuchel has demanded reporters stop asking him questions over the Ukraine-Russia conflict because he feels ‘bad’ and is ‘not a politician’.

The visibly annoyed Chelsea boss was taking questions ahead of his side’s FA Cup clash with Luton Town on Wednesday but was confronted a number of times on the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

Reporters also tried to probe the German on the Blues’ Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich after he announced that he planned to hand Chelsea over to the trustees of the club’s charitable foundation amid the war in eastern Europe and the financial crackdown on oligarchs linked to Vladimir Putin.

However, when asked about the horrors of war in his Tuesday press conference, Tuchel snapped and demanded not to be asked questions on Ukraine.

‘Listen, listen, listen you have to stop, I’m not a politician,’ Tuchel told a reporter when asked about the situation currently unravelling in Ukraine.

‘You have to stop, honestly, I can only repeat it and I feel bad to repeat it because I’ve never experienced war.

‘So even to talk about it I feel bad because I’m very privileged – I sit here in peace. I do the best I can but you have to stop asking me these questions because I have no answers for you.’

Thomas Tuchel demanded reporters stop asking him questions on the Ukraine crisis

The Chelsea boss was repeatedly asked about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday

Tuchel admitted he felt bad about living a privileged life and that he’s never experienced war

A clearly frustrated Tuchel then slapped the table after being asked for his opinion on the conflict and Abramovich’s current status as owner of Chelsea.

Earlier on in the heated press conference, Tuchel revealed how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was seriously impacting him – but revealed he and the players were looking to remain focused on the club’s upcoming fixtures.

‘It’s horrible. It’s horrible,’ Tuchel said when asked about the war. ‘There can’t be any other opinion about it, but why should we be more distracted by you. It’s out there. We know there are more important things out there. This will never change.

‘Everyone in Europe has noise in their head that nobody likes. Still you try to come to work and try to do the best in your job as possible.’

Tuchel refused to be drawn in on questions about Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich (right)

ANGRY TUCHEL SNAPS BACK AT REPORTERS – EXCHANGE IN FULL

Reporter 1: Should Roman Abramovich have a role in football?

Tuchel: It’s too much for me to answer. I am not aware of the details and the whole situation. There are situations, like war, that are so much more important than football, this will never change. Situations like war are so much more important. The role of Mr Abramovich is not on me to comment because we don’t know enough about it.

Reporter 2: Hello Thomas. You’ve already spoken about how there are more important things going on in the world than football right now but how much of a distraction is all of this for you, and for your players, and for Chelsea football club – how can you lift the players after Sunday [Carabao Cup final defeat]?

Tuchel: To lift the team after Sunday should not be too hard because I think everybody knows we played a very strong match, we played to our identity, we played with full commitment and a lot of quality. We can never control the result and a winner had to be found and was found after 22 penalties. That more or less tells the story. So that should not be the problem.

It’s only two days. We gave a day off to clear our minds because it was not only a disappointment but it was also physically draining for us, physically demanding and that leaves us with a one-day turnaround to be ready tomorrow because that’s what its all about and it’s the next round [of the FA Cup]. This is life for Chelsea – we want to be competitive in different competitions so we have to be ready tomorrow.

Is that always easy? Maybe not. But this is what we do, this is what we demand from me, myself and everyone around the team, and last but not least the players.

You know, you always start the sentence, the question with the same sentence, ‘we know there are much more important things than football but can you comment?’ but you also decide to ask me about war and how often do I need to say it? It’s horrible. It’s horrible. There cannot be any other opinion about it, but why should we be more distracted by you at work? That’s what I meant when I said it in the first place. It’s out there. We know there are more important things out there. This will never change. This is about sports and there are a lot more important things out there.

Still there is a large distraction going on and we are worried but at the end we try to create an atmosphere to come to work and focus on our work, which is our passion so we are very very grateful and very privileged to have it and it’s not that that big a problem. But of course I think that everybody in Europe, more or less, has noise in their head that nobody likes and maybe it’s the same for you. But still you try to do your job as good as possible and it’s the same for us.

Reporter 3: Hello Thomas. How worried are you about the future running of Chelsea Football Club and I wonder what your message will be to the fans at the moment?

Tuchel: I’m not so sure I’m the person to give messages to the fans. If we try to be calm here, and we are calm, in the centre of a storm, or of some noise around us that we cannot control that we are also not responsible for, it’s in the end the best to stay calm and focus on what we love and what we do and this is sports. I think we have a right to focus on sports. I think the players have a right to be focused and this is what we can tell the fans and this is what the fans saw on Sunday.

There is a big situation out there and there is a lot of commitment from the players, from both clubs and the fans and I think that everybody is aware there are more important things. The situation in Ukraine is much, much more important than this game of football and still there was a full stadium and still we arrive with two teams, two strong teams, that played a fantastic match and this is what we can do to the fans. To distract them, to entertain them and do what we do with maximum effort and a maximum commitment. I don’t see any other solution how or what we could do different.

Reporter 4: Hi Thomas. Just on how passionately you spoke a moment ago about the horrors of war, how much do you hope that the owner is using –

Tuchel: – Listen, listen, listen you have to stop, I’m not a politician. You have to stop, honestly, I can only repeat it and I even feel bad to repeat it because I’ve never experienced war.

So even to talk about it I feel bad because I’m very privileged – I sit here in peace. I do the best I can but you have to stop asking me these questions because I have no answers for you.

Tuchel also refused to be dragged into the politics currently surrounding the club and its owner Abramovich.

When asked whether Abramovich should have a role in football, Tuchel responded: ‘It’s too much for me to answer. I am not aware of the details and the whole situation.

‘There are situations much more important than football, this will never change. Situations like war are so much more important.’

The questions come days after Abramovich announced his intention to place the stewardship of the club in the hands of the trustees of the Chelsea Foundation.

As a result, the trustees of the Chelsea Foundation have made a serious incident report to the Charity Commission, which is seeking further information from the trustees following Saturday night’s announcement.

The Russian billionaire announced his intention to place stewardship of the club with trustees

A view of central square of the City Hall building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, after heavy shelling from Russia on Tuesday

It is understood the Foundation’s six trustees held a meeting on Sunday and are seeking legal clarity and advice from the Commission over how, and whether, the Russian billionaire’s proposal can be enacted.

Trustees are understood to be concerned over conflicts of interest which may arise from them holding stewardship of the club, and whether a suitable legal structure can be put in place to afford them stewardship that falls within Charity Commission guidelines.

Among the Foundation’s Trustees are Chelsea Women head coach Emma Hayes, British Olympic Association chair Hugh Robertson and Piara Powar, the executive director of the anti-discrimination Fare network. The club chair, Bruce Buck, is also the chair of board of trustees of the Foundation.

Abramovich’s announcement came two days after Russia invaded Ukraine, and followed calls for him to be banned from owning Chelsea and other UK assets by Labour MP Chris Bryant.

Trustees are understood to be concerned over conflicts of interest which may now arise

A spokesperson for Abramovich said that the oligarch was attempting to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Chelsea will be expected to spell out how the club and the foundation can remain separate entities if they are run by the same people, although a number of the trustees may opt to walk away due to their own misgivings.

Several trustees are concerned about conflict of interest issues and being compromised due to Abramovich’s alleged links to Putin’s Russian regime.

Chelsea do not need all trustees to agree in order for the plan to go ahead. Initial discussions with the trustees have already taken place with another video call planned for later this week.

Among the Foundation’s Trustees are Chelsea Women head coach Emma Hayes

A FORTUNE MINED IN STEEL: THE £8.4BILLION MAN WHO HANDED CHELSEA TO CHARITY

Mr Abramovich has an estimated wealth of £8.4billion.

As well as his huge property portfolio, he also owns a series of superyachts, including the £450million Solaris, which has a missile detection system.

Mr Abramovich has never held UK citizenship and made his money selling assets purchased from the state when the Soviet Union broke up.

He arrived at Chelsea in 2003 and transformed the team from outside challengers to a Premier League giant with the help of Jose Mourinho.

The bulk of Abramovich’s UK wealth is to be found in Evraz, a steel and mining giant listed on the London stock market.

Abramovich said in a statement issued on Saturday night: ‘During my nearly 20-year ownership of Chelsea FC, I have always viewed my role as a custodian of the club, whose job it is ensuring that we are as successful as we can be today, as well as build for the future, while also playing a positive role in our communities.

‘I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart. I remain committed to these values. That is why I am today giving trustees of Chelsea’s charitable Foundation the stewardship and care of Chelsea FC.

‘I believe that currently they are in the best position to look after the interests of the club, players, staff, and fans.’

Ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final defeat, a Blues statement said: ‘The situation in Ukraine is horrific and devastating,’ it read. ‘Chelsea FC’s thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine. Everyone at the club is praying for peace.’

It failed to mention Russia or Abramovich, however, despite the businessman being thrust into the spotlight following Russia’s incursion of its neighbouring country.

Finance experts have also since claimed Chelsea could go ‘bankrupt’ if the government were to impose sanctions on Abramovich.

Bloomberg also reported investors and private equity firms, including some from the United States, are on high alert if the £1.5billion-valued Blues are put up for sale as they await clarity from the government on any future Russian sanctions.