LONDON, Jan. 5 — Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has promised he will work to “restore trust” with the club and fans, after an interview last week in which he said he wasn’t happy at the club and implied he would like to return to Italy.
The interview, which was aired on Sky Italia, saw Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel take the decision to leave the forward out of the 2-2 draw with Liverpool at the weekend, although the coach has said the Belgian is back in contention for the forthcoming Carabao Cup semifinal against Tottenham.
Speaking in an interview published on the Chelsea website on Wednesday, Lukaku, who cost over 100 million euros last summer, said he was sorry for the upset he had caused.
“You guys know the connection that I have had with this club since my teenage years, so I totally understand you guys being upset.”
“Obviously, it’s up to me now to restore your trust and I’ll do my best to show commitment every day on the training ground and in the games, trying to make sure that we win games,” said Lukaku, who also said he apologized to Tuchel for implying he wasn’t happy with his style of football.
“I apologize, and also to my teammates and the board because I think it was not the right moment also and I want to move forward from this and make sure that we start winning football games and that I perform for the team in the best manner,” continued the striker.
Tuchel revealed that he had spoken to Lukaku on Monday. “We took the time that it needed to look calmly on it and talk calmly. He has apologized and is back in the squad for today’s training. We have had enough time to clear the air and move on,” commented the coach, who insisted Lukaku “did not do this intentionally to create noise.” (Xinhua)
Lukaku looks to smooth troubled waters at Chelsea after interview fallout
